Darrin Grella – Interview Guru

The topic of use of social networks to land a job are in much debate.  Does it work? Does it not? Either way, how does one do it?

I will be the first to admit it is easily understood and frankly can be overwhelming.  I recently read an article, via twitter, (thanks to @RosettaCareers) that was written by and intern, Allison Janney, directed toward new grads on how to land their next gig.  Pretty pertinent information and credible as she has landed her past two internships via twitter.

With constant, real time information, reading and marinating on twitter feeds can be about as much fun as getting your toe nails removed.  A quick highlight of her thoughts are below but feel free to check out her short article here.

Step 1: Know whom to follow
Strategically follow professionals at every level are on Twitter, especially in the PR and marketing industry. Use this to your advantage and find Tweeps who work at companies that interest you. Twitter’s “List” feature is one of the best ways to identify folks at specific organizations.

Step 2: Engage politely
Always remember that professionals are busy. You want to appear persistent without being annoying. The key to this concept is reaching out without asking something of them. Retweeting or commenting on a professional’s tweet is a natural way to get attention without making them uncomfortable.

Step 3: Time your outreach
Networking on Twitter takes patience. Practice regularly monitoring your leads in order to present yourself at an appropriate time. They may tweet about job openings or announce a new client. This information will ensure you are aware of potential opportunities that are not posted on their website.

Much Success!

(be sure to follow Darrin, the interview guru, at @darringrella)