With a new spring semester starting, college students from across the U.S. are beginning the daunting tasks of job hunting. Before they know it they will be walking across the stage receiving their diploma. Most students are advised to start looking for a job well in advance of graduation. Are college students even using Twitter to search for jobs? The short answer is: Yes. This past fall semester, I read and received many tweets from college students. I think it’s great that students are finally embracing Twitter as a way to connect with employers, research companies, and find job and internship opportunities.

HOW TO USE TWITTER IN YOUR JOB SEARCH

1. Search for jobs, internships and scholarships. Here are a few of the many potential hashtags that you could use: #jobs #hiring #genY #entrylevel #career #USAjobs #DCjobs #salesjobs #prjobs; #internships #internpro #intern; #scholarships #finaid #highered
2.  Follow the career handles of companies that interest you. For example @GEICOCareers @SodexoCareers @GECareers @MicrosoftJobs @attJOBS share information, photos, videos and more. Read what they are posting or at-message them with a question.
3. Follow your university’s career center. If your career center doesn’t currently have a Twitter presence, follow ones that do. Syracuse, NYU, Arizona, San Diego State and Indiana are schools that actively share jobs, tips and articles on Twitter.
4. Tweet your LinkedIn profile. Once you’ve identified corporate and agency recruiters, send them a link to your profile. Spark their interest in you! And, inquire about job leads or ask to set up a call to learn more about their company and opportunities.
5. Subscribe to geo-targeted, industry specific job feeds. Services such as TweetMyjJobs.com, iGradJobs, SimplyHired, Indeed and BuddingUp post jobs every day to Twitter. Do a little research and subscribe to feeds that are specific to your job search.
6. Follow third party job-related tweeps.  There is a great deal of information sharing via Twitter.  @Blogging4Jobs, @InternMatch, @YouTern, @careersherpa, @InternQueen, @UrbanEmploy, @Doostang are just a few that come to mind.
7. Stay in touch with recruiters that you’ve met. If you’ve met a hiring manager during a career fair or a recruiter at a networking event, ask if they are on Twitter. Follow them as a way to stay connected.
8. Extend your brand. I’ve seen a lot of public profiles that would astound you! I recommend keeping your profile private or, at the very least, professional. If you decide to use Twitter in the job search: select an appropriate handle, write a professional bio, use a “G-rated” photo, and use your best judgment when tweeting.

What’s been your experience with Twitter?

Have you used Twitter in your job search? Has it been useful? Share your story or strategy below.

A Little Disclaimer: Mentions of third-party resources are provided for informational purposes and do not constitute an endorsement. I did not receive anything in exchange for listing any of these companies or sites, however, I am an employee of GEICO and have listed one of my company’s handles.