In previous blog posts we’ve discussed the importance of capitalizing on social media to advance your career. We’ve also talked about how recruiters are actively researching and evaluating our personal profiles on the well-known and obscure social media platforms. In this article I will be looking at practical ways of achieving your goals and finding your next dream job by using social networking sites.

There are doubters still asking if it is really conceivable, if social media is actually improving the likelihood of winning a job over another candidate, but I believe they are few. What the socially savvy people have proven – is that the power of social media is even stronger when you are not actively looking for a job.  And nothing to do with luck, it comes down to strategically managed social media profiles and 5 to 10 hours a week, no more than most already invest into sharing personal pictures and experiences.

Besides socializing, sites like Facebook  and Twitter offer platforms providing reach to people who know hiring managers and can introduce them to you. Millions use  Facebook  and Twitter to keep in touch with friends and family – and what a wonderful platform for that. But, to advance your career, begin including information to benefit your professional life in your regular activity.

Twitter is a great place to begin. The micro blogging platform is perfectly suited for sharing your expertise and adding your thoughts on the latest news in your industry. Be involved, follow industry leaders’ tweets, add insightful comments and in time you may even build informal relationships with thought leaders and subject matter experts in your field. If you are a novice, consider these steps:

1. Create a comprehensive profile: describe yourself in a way that adds value to those reading your posts, including suitable #hastags. Create a user name to convey your expertise: steven_cloudexpert, jen_mobileappdev.
2.  Build your personal and professional brand step by step! Don’t start by blasting people with a message that you’re out of work and need their help.
3.  Search and follow companies and people of interest. Most companies and hiring managers are posting job openings and you will see them – have patience. It’s better to do this strategically. Don’t tweet before you are following 5 to 10 of the key people who may be interested in your comments. Create a list of the people you want to follow. Use hashtags to help find the right people that can help you be noticed in the crowd.
4. Use tools like TweetDeck to filter your feeds by certain search terms.
5. Interaction with companies, industry leaders, and recruiters is the key! Re-tweet opinions that resonate with you, reply and comment to tweets or send a direct response.This is an ideal way to get a casual but more personal conversation going.
6. Customize your tweets to fit your industry, peers and the people you follow. Use powerful key words generated by Google analytics.
7. Be tenacious in your approach; don’t be alarmed if someone doesn’t answer to you at first. Have patience – everyone is busy. Give them sometime and try again.

These strategies can help you advance your career using Twitter. We look forward to your comments and please share your experience, tips and tricks that can be beneficial to others.

Moreover, if you are an IT professional looking for positions in Cloud Computing, CRM, Energy IT, Healthcare IT, or the hottest Mobile development technologies, check out our career section and contact us for career advice. We look forward to hearing from you!