Will Tweet for Work

How far will people go to find a job in this economy?

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, people have resorted to using social networking tools to find work. This isn’t so new to some because LinkedIn has long been a professional site that attracted hundreds of executive recruiters looking for viable candidates. As a result, lot of people on LinkedIn updated their profiles to make sure their experience reflected their capabilities. But now Twitter has become the bomb-diggity for some savvy, out of work job seekers. And good for them.

Let’s think about this: We’ve known for a few years now that employers are checking out social networking sites to gather research on a prospective job candidate. In too many cases, we’ve heard of employers who have discovered unsavory things about an applicant which has cost them an opportunity.  So wouldn’t it make sense for job seekers to find practical uses of social networking tools like Twitter?

Some may view this as a trend but there is no denying the number of employers who are setting up Twitter profiles to source job candidates. Companies like Microsoft, Verizon Communications, Best Buy, Raytheon, Viacom and others are using Twitter and Facebook Fan pages as marketing tools, but the folks in the human resources department are saying, “Hey, I want to try that too!”

 This trend is happening at the expense of major job boards like Monster.com and Careerbuilder, which many HR professionals for years have complained online job postings generate hundreds — sometimes thousands —  of candidates but only a small percentage actually have the qualifications that match the job description.

Earlier I traded messages on Facebook with Mark, a programmer from Illinois who said he just doesn’t get all the hype about Twitter.  “I guess it’s just my not understanding the new world. I’m a programmer….I just want to pay my rent, buy my prescriptions and maybe have enough left over to help my kids a little,” he said.

While exchanging messages with Mark I thought about a Chicago HR director I talked to over a year ago about why she didn’t buy classified ads in the Chicago Tribune. She believed the people with the skill sets she needs aren’t looking in the newspaper for work, they’re online — and the real innovative ones are willing to Tweet for work.

The following tips are suggestions I offered earlier to Mark:

1. Find employers where they are looking. It’s important to breakout from everyone else who has the same qualifications as you do. If you don’t have a Twitter profile, create one. It’s free and very simple to do. Be sure to complete your profile and use the space to highlight your key qualifications. You may have to observe the activity for a few days to get the hang of the Twitter etiquette but it’s important to jump in with both feet. Be careful not to oversell yourself otherwise you’ll become a huge turn off real fast.

2. Make a list of the companies or industries where you want to work. Visit the corporate websites, go to the career section and poke around to see if they are using social networking tools. If so, join or follow them. If not, go to Twitter and conduct a search. If the company comes up, make sure to follow so that when job postings are tweeted you can receive them. You may want to mark them as favorites on Twitter.

3. Expand your network. Your face-to-face network, that is. Combine your online networking with an offline strategy. Do a search on MeetUps in your area to find groups in your profession. Again, create a MeetUp profile so that you can receive notices when the group will meet, then register to attend the “live” event. Use your home computer to design some simple business cards with all of your social networking information listed, i.e., LinkedIn profile page, Twitter handle, email address, etc. You can get 500 cards printed at Kinko’s for $50.

4. This last tip may sound strange but it works. When you attend a face-to-face networking event, don’t be so quick to pass out those business cards. That is so old school. Instead look for opportunities to help people solve a problem, whether it’s introducing them to someone you know who has the expertise in their area or maybe YOU have skill sets you are willing to donate for free. This is a good way to establish credibility and expand your network of influence.

Trust me, these tactics work. I tried it over a year ago when I was downsized. Three months later I found a new position. 

Are you using social networking to find your next employment opportunity? Are you an HR director using social networking to find qualified job candidates? If so, share your stories of how you are managing your online reputation.