Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn Job Search Strategies

Posted on | April 21, 2009 | No Comments

There have been a lot of articles written lately about the growth of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and on how thousands are using it to find jobs and business opportunities.  I’ve spoken to quite a few folks to learn more about their strategies, but I’m dying to know more.  I would love it if you would write in and share your social media job search strategies.  Send your strategies to Careersthatdontsuck.com.  Select “Other” and label your comment “Job Search Strategy”.  If you don’t want to share your trade secrets, participate in our anonymous poll.  Oh, and don’t forget to follow Careersthatdontsuck.com on Twitter (Twitter.com/changecareers).

In the meantime, I’d like to share a couple of strategies now.

Twitter Strategy 1: Follow That Tweet

Twitter is a buffet of tweets on which you’re free to gorge yourself 24/7.  The trick is to figure out what to eat, how much to eat and when to back away from the bar.  The most popular job search strategy appears to be using TweetDeck or another Twitter client to monitor tweets on select topics.  Job-seekers enter search topics like “HR jobs”, “writing jobs” or “web conferencing” to follow tweets that may lead to jobs in those fields.  Some adopt a passive watch-and-wait stance, quietly monitoring the tweets for hot leads.  Others jump in–directing questions to tweeters, adding links to their portfolios or resumes or engaging in discussions with tweeters.

Twitter Strategy 2: Lead the Band

Tweeters who can’t wait for the action to come to them, and those who don’t believe the chatter is lead-rich, opt to start their own twitter accounts and attract their own followers.  These band leaders use their stages to open discussions on topics on which they are experts, topics that give them an opportunity to show off their knowledge and thought leadership.

Tweeters who’ve adopted this strategy don’t just wait for followers to find them, they actively engage tweeters they find using Twitter Search or TweetDeck in hopes that they will become followers.

Facebook Strategy 1: Go to Market

Facebook’s job search cred is a bit less developed than that of LinkedIn and Twitter, but it is not without its charms.  The most obvious approach to job hunting on Facebook is to visit the Marketplace and click “Jobs”.  The section features job listings and job solicitations, most of them targeting the young and tech-savvy.  Each listing features a brief job description and a link to apply.

Facebook Strategy 2: This Just In

The most active feature of Facebook is the Updates feature.  That’s the bit of code that kindly informs you that your friends updated their profile photos, became a fan of the Kings of Leon or joined the San Francisco network.  The Update feature can do a lot more!  A few smart job-seekers are using the feature to keep their friends, family and colleagues apprised of their job search progress, to share their portfolios, to enlist help in their search and to show off their big ideas.

LinkedIn Strategy 1: Eyes on the Board

The easiest way to find a job on LinkedIn is to keep an eye on the jobs board.  LinkedIn’s job board is pretty active, and for those with recommendations, a pretty reliable way to find a job (or at least land an interview).  Using LinkedIn’s jobs board is straightforward.  You click the “Jobs” link, search for jobs, review job descriptions and click “Apply Now”.  You improve your chances by clicking “Request Referral” instead.  Using this feature allows you to ask a colleague or friend to recommend you for a job.  This is gives your application a bit more weight.

LinkedIn Strategy 2: Strategy in Numbers

The most active feature on LinkedIn is its Groups feature.  Millions of users join groups, but only a few smart users use their membership in groups to find new jobs.  Most people fail at using groups to find new jobs because they attempt to solicit jobs or sales leads overtly, much to the chagrin of the group’s organizer/moderator.  The better strategy is to make yourself an invaluable part of the community–starting discussions, answering questions, posting articles and events–as a way of getting noticed by recruiters and hiring managers, and of landing recommendations from peers.

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