Depending on who you ask social media is described as a fun way to pass the time all the way to an amazing networking tool. Professionally, everyone knows they "have to be on LinkedIn" but is that the only media stream that matters? One of our favourite social media platforms for purpose driven professionals is twitter. When used smartly it can help advance your career.
Consider the following three reasons why you should be on twitter.
One of the biggest benefits of twitter is the real-time information flow. Companies will often tweet about their job vacancies, so being on twitter not only allows you to stay up to date with the latest insights and trends, it also makes you one of the first to know about potential opportunities. At Bmeaningful we've seen that the vast majority of job postings are available for two weeks or less. That doesn't give potential applicants much lead time, so being in the know sooner rather than later is important. Following future employers can also help your application. Use their twitter feed to learn more about their values and culture by reviewing the content they've posted.
On the flip side, companies can also use twitter to identify their next hire. Twitter followers are a prime pipeline of brand ambassadors. See who's tweeting and sharing your updates – you never know, you may find your next super star employee.
More leaders (think CEO's, CSO's and VP's) are using twitter to communicate their thoughts, ideas and perspectives. Whether these thought leaders are acting as spokespeople for their companies or are sharing their own unique voice, you have the opportunity to not only stay up to date on their view of the world but to also engage in part of the conversation. But before jumping directly into a conversation, follow and share their tweets – connecting online is different than meeting in person, so check out these tips from the Daily Muse on how to connect with others via twitter.
Twitter provides a platform to express your own insights and thoughts in your area of expertise (or future career sector) which is an important tool in building your personal brand. Sharing relevant stories, adding your opinion to retweets, or simply tweeting your thoughts on a topic will help demonstrate that you 'walk the talk', professionally speaking. Just remember that what you say (and how you say it) will be in the public sphere. So think carefully before you tweet. In extreme cases, a poorly considered tweet can affect your employment.
So whether you're completely new to twitter or have an account collecting dust – we say happy tweeting.
Follow Bmeaningful on twitter for our real-time stream of career tips and job openings.