When it comes to Twitter, it seems everyone has a different opinion about the online community that lets registered users post updates called “tweets” of no more than 140 characters. But however you feel about the popular social networking site, one thing is certain: Its potential for job seekers and employers continues to grow. In fact, major corporations including Microsoft Corp., Verizon Communications, and Raytheon Corp., all currently list job openings on Twitter, according to the Wall Street Journal.
In fact, U.K.-based InterContinental Hotels Group PLC, which has U.S. headquarters in Atlanta, began listing jobs on Twitter in July through a distribution service called TweetMyJobs, which charges 99 cents to promote one job opening for a day, according to the WSJ.
There are other ways to find open positions through Twitter. For instance, job seekers can follow the tweets of a company they want to work for, search for posts relating to the field they wish to work in, or even search for general job-related posts on the site.
“There are a number of people on Twitter who have hashtags [identifiers that allow you to search for posts about a particular topic] around job searches,” says Joan Eisenstodt, meetings consultant and chief strategist, Eisenstodt Associates, LLC, Washington, D.C. “A lot of the [posts] discuss how to search for jobs, but if you follow the trail, it often leads to [tweets about] job openings,” she says.
Of course it helps to have some social-media skills and the time to comb the sites for leads. “It’s important to broaden the way you think about what you do and where your strengths can be utilized,” says Eisenstodt. The best thing to do is start by following the people and topics that you have a real interest in, and begin developing connections. Says Eisenstodt, “Nobody knows where his or her next job is going to come from.” —Rachel Eccles