{"id":5738,"date":"2016-08-14T07:16:41","date_gmt":"2016-08-14T11:16:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=5738"},"modified":"2016-08-14T07:16:41","modified_gmt":"2016-08-14T11:16:41","slug":"tweeting-your-way-to-a-new-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=5738","title":{"rendered":"Tweeting Your Way to A New Job"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u00a0\"aarp,job.expert\"<\/a>Tweeting your way to your next job might seem a little far-fetched. But having a professional presence on Twitter can lead you to employment openings and connect you with recruiters. And it can demonstrate online mojo that will assure hiring managers that you’re at ease with technology \u2014 a concern they often have about workers over 50.<\/div>\n

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Not familiar with Twitter? It’s a social networking<\/a> site that lets you send out brief “tweets” \u2014 which could be your thoughts on something, a link to an article, or a photo. With a click of a button, any other Twitter user is free to sign up to “follow” you, that is, receive your tweets. Likewise, you’re free to follow others in the Twitter universe.<\/p>\n

How it might work for you<\/h3>\n

Suppose you’re an interior designer looking for work. You tweet about developments in the industry and follow people who are doing the same. Over time you build up a network that keeps you informed in detail about the business and job openings, and puts you in touch with other people who share your love for the profession.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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When an interior design job comes open, you may well first hear of it on Twitter. And, who knows, one of your followers who’s hiring may decide the best fit for the job is you \u2014 the person who’s been tweeting all that sharp stuff about the business.<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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LinkedIn gets the lion’s share of attention in online job<\/a>networking. But Twitter offers a more subtle inside track. Plus, starting off is easier \u2014 no need to create an exhaustive profile listing your degrees, job history and testimonials. Just a simple one.<\/p>\n

Getting started<\/h3>\n

So get up and rolling on Twitter tout de suite with these four steps.<\/p>\n

1. Create a Twitter identity that spotlights your professional goals.<\/strong> Head to Twitter.com<\/a> and click the sign-up button. Choose your Twitter username, or handle, carefully. It’s great if you can use your full name, but if it’s taken, play around a little to find a good one. Avoid anything cutesy.<\/p>\n

This account is now your online business card. It’s not a personal page for your friends. So upload a close-up, good-quality profile photo, add a brief, targeted description of who you are professionally and what you do, your city and your state.<\/p>\n

Use the short bio space to describe what you want out of your next career move. For example: “As an accountant with over 20 years’ experience, I’m looking for a position in a nonprofit organization.”<\/p>\n

If you have a LinkedIn profile or website or blog address, link to it. And consider throwing in a (very) quick personal addendum to round you out as a human being. My account, for example, says “Passion: Horses.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Social Media and Job Search<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n
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