Happy Thanksgiving to you, from all of us at Market Street Talent! As today marks the beginning of the holiday season, we wanted to reach out to let you know that we’re grateful to be part of an amazing network of professionals. We also know that many of you won’t be taking a holiday from your job search – which is why we’re sharing a few helpful hints for using Twitter as a tool to find new opportunities.
Twitter is an amazing resource for job seekers, but with so many users taking advantage of the social media site it can be hard to find the right people. In the recent Market Street Talent blog Are you following me? Why you’ll want to use Twitter for your #jobsearch, we covered the topic and made some suggestions about how to get started.
Once you have an established account, you’ll definitely want to learn how to take advantage of hashtags – it’s more than just a gimmick. The tags act like a folder or system to classify the information you want to find and help you enter the right conversations. You can read a general primer on best practices for using hashtags at SocialMediaToday.
So, how do you use a hashtag for a job search? First, start with the basics. We recommend you search tags such as #Jobs, #ITJobs and #TechJobs to get a good handle on any given day of what’s out there. You’ll also want to try using the tag #Jobs with your location to find opportunities close to home.
For example, if you’re local to the Boston area the basic tags you’ll want to look up are #BostonTechJobs, #BostonJobs and #ITJobsBoston. From there, you should be able to find a listing of recent posts by companies that are hiring.
Another easy method is to start by looking up experts in your field – including professional services such as Market Street Talent – or companies you want to work for. Check out their profiles to see what hashtags they are using. When you click on the tags, a new list will open that includes all posts with the given hashtag within the last two weeks. Start by looking us up on Twitter at @MarketSt_Talent, @csullivan_MST, and @richardcollins.
When you expand your search by clicking on the other hashtags being used, you’ll want to create a list that is specific to your needs. Then, try using those tags to get into the conversation by including them on your own professional Tweets.
You’ll also definitely want to re-Tweet helpful information and share other people’s content. Get into the habit of re-Tweeting informative posts from industry leaders and other professionals in your field. Be sure that you link back to the original post by using their handle and including your own hashtag.
If you’re consistent about this, It will introduce other people to your hashtag and create good will as you share posts – both great ways to get you noticed and build a strong network. For more information on this strategy for using Twitter in your job search, read this article from Mashable, How Sharing Other People’s Content Makes You an Irresistible Job Candidate.
The benefits will be amazing for building your network. Using the right hashtags will allow you to meet new people, find new resources and discover new opportunities. When you post without hashtags, you’re only accessing the people you already know.
In addition, the right tags will make your info searchable for others and help to keep track of the posts relevant to your job search.
Get started by following Market Street Talent on Twitter! We’re always happy to hear from you. We also invite you to visit our jobs page to learn more about upcoming opportunities!