Simply Hired Blog

5 Ways to Effectively Use Twitter to Land Your Next Job

By Carrie Smith

When Twitter first came onto the scene, not many people could have guessed it would become the social powerhouse it is today. I know I didn’t. But now it’s become one of my favorite tools to find clients and land new jobs.

While other social media platforms like Facebook are about connecting with people you already know, Twitter is all about finding new connections and potential clients. About 80% of the social media and freelance jobs I've acquired have been through Twitter. Here are some of my favorite tips to help you use Twitter to land your next job.

Use the Hashtag Feature

If you’re looking for valuable information concerning your job search, this is a great place to start. The hashtag feature on Twitter offers both job openings and general job search advice. By using the number sign with corresponding searches like #jobs, #jobadvice, #jobhunt and #jobsearch you’ll be able to use this feature like a regular search engine.

This will help you really hone in on the specific job you’re hoping to land. This is also a great way to locate job openings within your industry and to get on the radar of the person who’s looking to hire. If you can connect with the hiring manager on a personal level, through Twitter, you’ll have a better chance of getting the position.

Plus, a lot of companies post their job openings on social media before they post them on job boards, so you'll have the upper hand with that as well.

Attend a Twitter Chat

Almost every day of the week there's a Twitter chat going on, referencing any given subject. A Tweet chat is a live Q&A session that typically discusses specific niche or industry issues, and can cover everything from career advice to project management. It’s a great way to conduct live conversations with people you might never be able to otherwise.

Some of the most popular job related chats include #jobhuntchat, #careerchat, #internchat and #hirefriday all of which provide invaluable tips and leads to help you land a job. Getting involved with industry chats is the perfect way to show your expertise in a particular field and present yourself as a knowledgeable person.

Build a Supportive Network

As I mentioned, Twitter is all about networking, so building a network is a vital part of finding the right kind of job. When you’re searching for a new job day in and day out, it can get overwhelming, stressful and discouraging. But thanks to Twitter you can start building a solid support system that will encourage you every step of the way. Your network can also share their advice, tips and tricks about what they’ve learned.

These days getting a good job is all about who you know, and getting them to recommend you for a job. Not only will your network sympathize with the stressful job hunting process, they can also keep an eye out for new job openings and offer invaluable career advice.

Locate Industry Conferences

Twitter makes keeping tabs on local conferences and seminars very simple and is one of the best ways for jobseekers to network with influential industry colleagues. Whether you’re attending the conference or not, you can still contribute to the conversation by getting active with attendees using the appropriate hashtag for that conference.

You can stay up-to-date with the goings on via the web and tweet along with other attendees and important professionals in your field. Many times the conversations that you start on Twitter will translate into future opportunities or even long-lasting business or personal relationships.

Find the Best Career Advice  

The learning and networking shouldn’t stop once we land a job. Managing your career is a constant process. With hashtags such as #career, #resume and #employment you can stay up-to-date on the issues you and others face in the workplace every day.

This is a great way to keep tabs on your favorite companies, learn more about where your industry is headed and to become the go-to person for valuable information! With the increasing popularity of Twitter, job seekers and recruiters alike are turning to this social network to find leads. Get a leg-up on the competition by using these tips to land your next job!

Carrie Smith is the personal finance expert behind CarefulCents.com, a blog dedicated to helping people get out of debt and find a career they love. She’s also a social media lover who enjoys traveling. Her work has been featured on The Huffington Post, Lifehacker and Yahoo! Finance. You can connect with her on Twitter @applecsmith.

Simply Hired Launches Simply Apply for One-Click Job Application on Mobile Devices

It’s here! Today, we are very excited to launch Simply Apply, a quick and easy way for job seekers to apply for jobs on mobile devices and the Web. Did you know that 77 percent of job seekers are using mobile technology for their job search? It’s true. And we want to turn those folks into candidates, so we’ve come up with a one-click process to do just that.

Just click on a job’s Simply Apply button, and you can review and edit pre-populated contact and resume information. Nice! As an option, a personalized cover letter can of course be added too. The simple user interface makes this process efficient and immediate. So whether you’re at home or on-the-go, applying to jobs has never been easier.

To get started:

• Go to the URL m.simplyhired.com from your phone browser.
• Search for a job using the keyword and location boxes like you would do on Simplyhired.com. An example of a search would be Keyword:"software engineer" and Location:"Sunnyvale, CA".
• On the search results, some of the jobs will have the word Simply Apply listed on the job. Select a job with the Simply Apply logo.
  • About 10,000 employers in a wide range of industries have enabled Simply Apply on their jobs. The jobs listings with this feature will continue to grow. 
• After reviewing the job description, if you find the job appropriate, click the Simply Apply button at the top of the description.
• An application window will pop up. You are not required to have a resume submitted to the system in advance. You can login to your LinkedIn account to create a resume from your phone.
• Add a cover letter in the optional cover letter field. Keep in mind that a cover letter is a way to help distinguish your application from the crowd.
• Press Submit Application and you're DONE!
• Don't forget to follow up after submitting your application.

To watch a demonstration of the feature in action view our video.

Check out Simply Apply for yourself today. To learn more about Simply Apply, please see our press release. 

Online Reputation for Job Search: Pinterest

This is part four of a four post series on building your online reputation. Jay's other posts are available on maintaining your online reputation through proper name conventions, LinkedIn and Twitter. 

By Jay Buerck

You’ve learned that owning yourname.com is one of the wisest investments you can make in your fight to protect or repair your online reputation. You’ve seen how you can leverage Facebook to also help the cause as well as your LinkedIn profile. Now it’s time to cover the new kid on the block, Pinterest.

Right now, Pinterest is all the rage across many demographics and companies are hopping on board. Now would be a great time to start an account for not only your reputation management needs but as a showcase of your talents to the world.

You might think that Pinterest is simply a place for pinning the picture of cats dressed as humans, craft projects, and pretty sceneries but it has vast potential for marketing businesses as well as yourself.

There are many elements in the Pinterest profile which can help with your online reputation including the ability to place your name as the title, do follow links to your other existing profiles and websites, as well as being able to name the categories you pin to which can include something like “Jay Buerck’s Favorites” or something like that.

Page Title

After receiving your invitation from Pinterest you can set up your profile. When setting up your profile be sure you name use your name in the title of your page and your username. This will make your Pinterest profile URL pinterest.com/yourname.

Do Follow Links in your Profile

Currently Pinterest allows for do follow links in your profile. What does this mean for you? You can link to your social media profiles such as Facebook, Twitter, and also a website of your choice. This interlinking will give your profiles and webpage some much needed links for searches involving your name.

About Section

This would be another great place in the profile to talk about you much like your LinkedIn summary. Don’t go overboard, this isn’t a place for resumes, but you could give a description and start pinning things that interest you.

Board Tagging

When you pin something, it is placed on a board and these boards can be called whatever you want them to be called. You can use your name for a board, pin companies or an industry you’re interested in, and just share with the community.

There is an outrageous amount of social media sites you can use to protect or repair your reputation. You don’t just have to use the most popular sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or even Pinterest in order for these profiles to show up.

You can even see profiles from commenting on articles or blog posts such as Forbes. Also, signing up for accounts with squidoo, quora, and Google+ can give you even more real estate. All these free accounts give you a chance to get started today and build up your online reputation. If you get stuck or some pesky negative piece won’t go away you can always call on the experts to help you out.

After taking these steps, you can start worrying more about your interview skills rather than will the hiring manager find that embarrassing story online.  

Jay Buerck is the COO of an Online Reputation Management company and has worked as an online marketing specialist for over 8 years including stints with 3 Inc. 500 Award Companies. You can find more great tips and strategies by following him on Twitter (@jaybuerck).

How to Use a Personal Business Card

By Bill Post

Another Tool for Job Seekers: The Personal Business Card

In Victorian times, proper ladies and gentlemen used calling cards to announce their arrival to a home as well as leave a reminder that they had paid a visit. In more modern times, people have used business cards to provide, in addition to their name and company position, relevant information on how to be contacted at their place of employment.

Business cards continue to be an important tool in nearly every form of business today. But what's really interesting to note is that with today's challenging economic environment, the contemporary job-seeker is getting more creative in making a good lasting impression, and one of the ways that is gaining in popularity is the use of a personal business card.

What Goes On A Personal Business Card?

A personal business card is similar to a company-issued business card in that it lists a person's contact information. But in addition – and this is where the savvy job seeker can work a bit of magic – it can add a touch reminiscent of Victorian calling cards: a personalized message to the recipient that stays around long after the meeting has ended. Consider it the ultimate tweet. Real estate space on a 3-by-2 inch card is very precious – the message has to be short and sweet. It isn't necessary to list your street address on the card as it's (usually) already on your resume. Your name, phone number and email address are sufficient pieces of contact data.

And unlike the black and white, standardized font found on Twitter, a personalized business card allows you to use colors and fonts to create a verbal word picture about yourself and what you offer. Here are some messaging examples:

1. For a writer: Experienced Copywriter – Colorful prose, sparkling invitations and writings with wit.
   
   
2. For a designer: Design, demystified – expert guidance to help you get the rooms you want at a price you can afford.
   
   
3. For a salesperson: Ten years of quota-topping achievements. Compassionate about the customer, passionate about the sale.

There are no hard and fast rules here. You don't have to include a message if this idea isn't appealing or doesn't fit the type of job for which you're searching. Here are some other ideas for what you can put on a personal business card:

1. Include a small picture. Whereas pictures on a resume are still pretty much a no-no (unless you're an actor), a small headshot picture is perfectly acceptable. Some of you might reject this idea because you don't want to be judged on appearances. If you've ever interviewed a series of candidates for a position, you know that despite your best intentions, they can start to run together after a few meetings. A picture is a great way to help people remember you. If you're using LinkedIn and already have a picture associated with your profile, then be consistent and use the same picture on your card. In both cases, the picture should be clear and professional in appearance.
   
   
2. List your website or blog address if you have one, provided that you keep it fairly up to date. Some say that if it's a hobby blog it could hurt you. It depends, but if you write fairly well, then it's worth it to show your potential employers that you are a multi-faceted individual. If you're a sales executive that enjoys hiking, volunteers at a local youth center and writes about your adventures, this is positive information about you as a person. It's highly likely that they will review your Facebook profile any way. A blog is your way to talk to them after an interview, with as much detail as you desire.
   
   
3. Lastly, there are a lot of personal business cards out there that contain no pictures or messages, but instead rely on eye-catching graphics, colors, raised or imprinted lettering or other visual tricks to stand out. These are also very effective.

The obvious way for you as a job applicant to use a personal card is to staple it to your resume. However, it's quite common for interviewers to already have a copy of your resume in hand when they meet you. If that is the case, give the interviewer your card as you collect theirs. If they are out of cards, give them one of yours anyway.

But personal cards are not just for interviews. Be smart and carry some with you at all times. Despite the many technological advancements we have seen, the most powerful form of advertising continues to be word of mouth. Smart job seekers know the value of networking and in talking to the various people they meet about what they do. A personal card sums everything up nicely, and you don't have to rummage around in your pockets for a pen and a scrap of paper, or whip out a phone and start typing away. It's quick and discreet – you hand someone a card and they put in it their pocket. Done.

And even after you get that new job, it's a good idea to keep a stash of your personal cards on hand. You never know who you might meet who could benefit from your talent and expertise!

Bill Post, Small Business Research Analyst, has been providing research on issues of concern to small businesses for 123Print.com Business Cards for three years. Prior to his involvement with 123Print, Bill was a small business owner himself, providing marketing and branding services to other small businesses in the Washington, DC metro area. Before working with 123Print on Business Card Templates, Bill spent several years after receiving his degree in the fast-paced corporate world. It was there that Bill not only honed the skills he uses to help small businesses get ahead, but it is also where he realized that he'd rather help the little guy prosper than make huge corporations money.

Job Search on the Go

Being cooped up in your house or at the library in front of a computer searching for a job can become tiresome. Why not grab your beach towel and try job searching on your phone in some different scenery? We want to make job search more enjoyable. For that reason, Simply Hired is pleased to introduce a suite of mobile tools to meet your needs.

m.simplyhired.com: View Simply Hired from your mobile browser. You can search, view and apply to jobs from your phone. In addition, your recent searches are visible (saves you some extra typing) and you can email yourself jobs.

Android phones and tablets: The Simply Hired job search app is available in the Android Market and Amazon Android Apps (for your Kindle Fire). Using the application you can search, save, email and apply for jobs. You can also quickly view your job search history. App for Android OS 2.1 and up.

iPhone and iPad: Find our job search app on the App store. Search, save, email and apply to jobs from your iOS device. Review your saved jobs and history using the quick navigation. Settings also available for part-time only and showing recent job searches.

Start using Simply Hired on the go! Also, please don’t forget to rate our application.