How to get a job through social media

Twitter is incredibly useful for job searching.

Job advertising on Twitter is becoming more popular in SA’s employment landscape. According to an article on www.businesslive.co.za, the CEO of FNB, Michael Jordaan, tweeted that the bank had vacancies for IT programmers, testers and business analysts.

FNB’s recruitment campaign via Twitter was apparently driven by its strategy to grow in terms of groundbreaking technologies in the banking industry this year.

Some of the tweets from Jordaan’s Twitter account:
• Received unexpectedly high # of CVs after tweeting ‘bout FNB IT vacancies. Twitter works.
• FNB has 40 vacancies for experienced COBOL programmers, testers and business analysts. Contact @rbjacobs to mail CVs.

The importance of online presence so potential employers can notice you
Daniela Bascelli, MD at Platinum VFP, says a good online presence is vital. “Most recruitment agencies and human resources divisions now search for potential hires on various social media and search for selected candidates by name. Be yourself on various social media, but be cautions of how your random posts could be interpreted by a potential employer. You shouldn’t say anything online that you wouldn’t want plastered on a billboard with your face on it." The top three social media platforms that you can use to get a job are LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

How to apply for jobs through social media – the art of summing up what you can offer in a job in 140 characters on Twitter:
Bascelli says you should learn to use hashtags correctly with an appropriate keyword relative to what you are seeking. For example, if you are an engineer, try searching for #engineeringjobs or #engineer. Be creative and try different types of keywords for searching. “Be the first to know when an organisation has new career opportunities available. Ask questions and engage with them using their tweets as an opening opportunity to chat by responding meaningfully to what they have tweeted.”

Here are examples:

1. #Graduate jobseeker looking for a career opportunity in #Marketing. Motivated, driven and willing to learn. CV avail on request.
2. Looking for a solid #career opportunity in #finance. BCom #jobseeker with vast experience in financial planning.

Always leave space in your tweet for your followers to retweet and respond to you. Don’t maximise the entire 140 characters and don’t use too many hashtags either – focus on strong keywords instead.

Various jobs are available on Twitter. Check @HotjobsSA.