Lauren Riley
Social media has become a huge part of recruitment in most industries, but none more so than digital.
As job seeking is almost exclusively carried out online in the initial stages these days, the importance of social media is clearer now than ever.
Not only do you get the opportunity to promote yourself as a candidate, but you can also reach out to those key decision makers at companies you’ve always dreamed of working for.
Twitter is a key part of this – it’s public, instant, and full of industry professionals that could help you take your first steps on the career ladder.
But how can you use the social network to your advantage during the difficult job search? Well, these tips will certainly help!
Make Your Situation Clear
Your Twitter bio is like a glimpse into your life, and it’s also the first thing that anyone who checks out your profile will see.
With this in mind, it’s a good idea to use your Twitter bio to show that you’re a graduate looking for their first job so that people know exactly what you want.
You only have 160 characters in your Twitter bio, so make it count. Something like “Recent English grad 2:1. Passionate about digital marketing. Seeking entry-level job in content or copywriting in the London area.” is enough to explain who you are, what you’re looking for and where your skills lie.
Follow Job/Career Accounts
Even though you’re probably already signed up for job alerts from companies and niche job boards (if not, why not?!), you should also consider following them on Twitter to be kept up-to-date on the latest jobs and careers advice.
It’s also a good way of getting yourself noticed by companies, especially if you’re following their own careers accounts.
Top Tip: If you’re looking for a career in the digital industry, be sure to follow us on Twitter @BubbleJobs or on our dedicated graduate account @BubbleJobsGrads!
Show An Interest In The Industry
One of the main things employers want from their graduate candidates is that they’re passionate about the area they want to work in, and Twitter is a great tool for proving this to them.
Sharing useful and interesting content about the industry and your chosen area of work, as well as commenting on news or developments in the sector, will really prove that you have a clear interest in what you want to do.
Also, taking part in relevant Twitter chats demonstrates a passion about the industry, as well as getting your profile in front of professionals in the sector – and possibly recruiters or hiring managers!
Keep It Professional
As you’re probably looking for your first proper full-time job, this is bound to be the first time you’ve had to use your social media profiles in a professional manner, and it’s key that the content shared on these profiles reflect this.
While it was fine for you to be sharing anything and everything on Twitter while you were in college or university with no worries about who would see it, now employers are going to be looking at your online presence and making judgements on you based on it before they even meet you. Harsh? Maybe. True? Definitely.
Make sure you go back through your Twitter posts and get rid of anything dodgy or just anything you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see. Whether it’s moaning about an old boss, or swearing or boozy pictures, it’s just not worth the risk.
Top Tip: If there’s just too much content to feasibly get rid of, consider putting your personal profile to private and setting up a new, dedicated professional Twitter account to avoid any problems arising when employers search for you online.
So there we go, some tips on how to use Twitter in your graduate job search.
Do you use Twitter as a job hunting tool and have any tips, or find other platforms useful as well? Let me know in the comments below!
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