Who to ‘Follow’:
One of the more daunting tasks for new Twitter users is deciding who and what to “follow”. Firstly, what does it mean to ‘Follow’ someone? By selecting to follow another Twitter profile you are enabling anything that they ‘Tweet’ to be tracked on your personalized “Timeline”. At your Twitter homepage is a constantly compiling list of various Tweets (known as the Timeline), these are all from users that you follow.
As a job seeker, it would be assumed that a Timeline occupied with job leads and job search advice would be advantageous. That being said, the following are suggested Twitter accounts for a job search candidate to use for filling their Timeline:
- TweetMyJobs [@TweetMyJobs] – The leading social recruitment and job distribution network working hard to match job seekers with employers.
- LinkedIn Jobs – The world’s largest professional network provides employment opportunities across various disciplines with industry specific Twitter accounts. Find your field; ex: [@lijobs_mktg], [@lijobs_hr], [@lijobs_eng]
- The Ladders [@TheLadders] – The Ladders connects career-driven professionals with the jobs that are right for them. Follow us for career advice, recruiting news & job search tips.
- Indeed.com [@indeed] – Indeed is the #1 job site worldwide, with over 70 million unique visitors and 1.5 billion job searches per month.
- SimplyHired [@SimplyHired] – We are a job search company whose goal is to make finding your next job a simple yet effective, enjoyable journey!
- Undercover Recruiter [@UndercoverRec] – The Undercover Recruiter is the #1 recruitment & career blog in the UK, top 5 in the world.
Also, many corporations/companies now utilize Twitter as well. If you have target companies in mind, search for them on Twitter and definitely give them a ‘follow’. You’ll receive various news, updates and even job opportunities, straight from the firms of your choosing. (Companies in the Philadelphia area prominent on Twitter include: ARAMARK, DuPont, Ernst & Young, etc.) Many of these businesses have career-specific Twitter accounts too, that only tweet out current openings and employment opportunities, which can obviously be extremely useful.
Not to forget the human side of Twitter—which is the essence of its power & where you will reap the benefits—here are some suggestions of “real people” to ‘Follow’ as well:
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How to Increase ‘Followers’:
The main issue that most new Twitter users struggle with is grasping where in the “Twitter-verse” their personal tweets go and who exactly reads them. Only the individuals who have selected to ‘follow’ you have access to your tweets. There is no huge, “Twitter Ocean”, where all the respective tweets go to swim. Naturally, this translates into a necessity to maximize ‘Followers’; and thus, hopefully maximizing the impact of one’s tweets. This has seemingly become the age-old Twitter question—how can I get more ‘Followers’?
Sadly, there is no tangible, foolproof methodology to increase your following. However, there are various techniques to boost your ‘Followers’:
- Ensure that your Twitter account is not set to “Private”. This means that anyone who discovers your profile has the capability to follow you and view your tweets.
- Promote yourself through other social media outlets. Whether that means posting announcements on Facebook, LinkedIn, or even adding your Twitter handle to your e-mail signature; just get the word out that you are now on Twitter.
- Interact – One of the best ways to make your presence known on Twitter is to respond directly to and “re-tweet” content you think is meaningful. Getting engaged with other Twitter users is a great way to utilize the tool, but also get people ‘Following’ you.
- Use #hashtags in your Tweets. Performing this simple task will make you and your tweets easily searchable and obtainable. See “Tweets” section below for more information.
- Stay consistent; don’t give up! Acquiring hundreds of ‘Followers’ is not going to happen overnight and truly is a lengthy process. The key to Twitter is consistency and use; the ‘Followers’ will come.
Work on “Following” some of the above mentioned Job Search Sites as well as a “Following” a few Companies and individuals you have interest in. You have a Twitter Profile and you are “”Following” Job Sites and Individuals. Part 3 of this 3-part series will offer advice on the most important and funniest aspect of Twitter, “TWEETING”.
Michael Cuff
Director, Client Services
CCI Consulting
