Twitter is a tool that can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It can also mean a lot of different strategies and opportunities for a lot of different businesses. More and more companies and jobseekers alike are using the social network/microblogging platform as a way to find and fill jobs.
Traditionally, Twitter has been known as the network of choice for jobseekers. That role has been filled by LinkedIn. LinkedIn, however, is finding that other social networks are invading its territory to some extent. Just last month, we looked at a story from Fortune, claiming that recruiters were increasingly turning to Facebook to find job candidates. One reason for this is that Facebook offers a broader look at the candidate in many cases. People tend to be more in their natural element on Facebook than they do on LinkedIn, which is meant for business networking. This applies to Twitter too.
That’s not to say that LinkedIn is having trouble maintaining usage. comScore recently reported that LinkedIn neared its all-time high in July, with about 8 million visitors. That’s a 66% increase from the year before.
Twitter is gaining momentum in an industry where LinkedIn has been thriving for some time though – the jobs industry. This topic was explored in a recent Mercury News article. “Accessible by computer or cell phones, Twitter can be used to post a job, poke around for one, bone up on a potential boss, or simply keep your friends updated on your job hunt,” says Mercury’s Patrick May. “It’s free and it’s fast. And while social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn focus on connecting you with people you know, Twitter makes it easier to broadcast messages widely and to form groups of common interest. By ‘following’ others and having them follow you, the conversations quickly multiply.”
And there is certainly no shortage of tweeting going on. Twitter appeared to suffer a temporary slip in tweets in August, but that is likely due to some denial-of-service attacks that occurred in that time, causing interruptions (more than normal) in the Twitterverse. Numbers for September looked more positive, showing tweeting on the rise again. As we make our way out of recession and more companies begin to hire, you can bet on Twitter playing a vital role in the filling of a great many positions.
