UTweet

It was that ripe old smell of cellophane and a glance at the calendar that knocked the wind out of me: school starts next week. Time to rub the sleep out of your eyes, grab a Pop-Tart and sprint for the bus. For some us, it’s also the beginning of recruiting season at UT and figuring out just what in the world life after graduation holds. For many, that means what company and job we intend on aligning ourselves with.

Mark your calendars for the following UT Austin career fairs:

• September 10 – McCombs School of Business BBA Career Fair
• September 22 - College of Natural Sciences Career EXPO
• September 23-24 – Cockrell School of Engineering EXPO
• October 15 - Liberal Arts Career Expo
• November 5 – College of Communication Job and Internship Fair

Besides resume, the interview, and the beads of nervous sweat – all integral parts of the recruiting process – one has to consider their online presence. Even with legal authority, employers are Google-ing you and accessing your social sites (Facebook, MySpace, etc.) to find out more information about you.  While this may only increase the severity of your sweating, you’ve got to play the game to your advantage – enter Twitter.

I sat down with Kim Haynes of Bulldog Solutions (follow her @kimhaynes), to discuss how students can use Twitter as an effective tool. As Human Resources Manager, Kim is a recruiter in the Austin area and human resources industry. Here’s the scoop:

• Twitter, the new sourcer
  After Kim posts a job on the company website, she will immediately tweet it out and then post it on other sites, such as her blog, Facebook account, or LinkedIn. This is a more personal way to find out about job opportunities at a low level of involvement.
• Breaking the job board
  Kim is moving away from using job boards such as Monster.com to find potential employees; instead, she looks to social media to scope out candidates and share potential positions.
• Build your brand
  Employers are going to find out about you whether you like it or not. Twitter – along with your other online activities – can help shape the impression you make. Do you want to be taken seriously about writing? Share links to news stories relevant to the media industry. Up-and-coming photographer? Tweet out your flickr url.
• Build your network
  Twitter is a place to have a conversation – use that @ symbol like you just don’t care! Send a DM or two to make the conversation private.

But how do I build my network and make those connections?

“You need to reach out beyond your small group of friends. Find people that you’re interested in, follow them, watch what they are talking about, and talk back to the them.”

Twitter’s a tool. Use it!

Tags:   jobs · networkingNo Comments