(Savannah, GA)- Trying to land a job? Depending on the type of job you're going for, maybe it's time to ditch the traditional cover letter and resume?
Hal Thomas did and now he's gainfully employed.
BFG Communications, a marketing company with offices on Hilton Head Island and in Savannah, put out a "tweet" (an individual message posted to the social networking site,
Twitter.com) asking for people interested in the
assistant content manager's position to apply for the job via Twitter.
"The response was overwhelming," said
Sloane Kelley, BFG Communications content director.
The maximum number of characters per Tweet is 140. To make a short statement not only "sing," but be appropriate, one must think before one types.
Whether Thomas specifically recalled the adage "haste makes waste" or not, he was sure to take his time, but not too much time before sending his Tweet about the job opening.
"I responded within 24 hours," said Thomas.
Twitter does, however, offer additional ways for users to engage other users or "Tweeters." Each message can include a picture and/or a link to an outside website. Hal Thomas took advantage of all three "Tweeting"
possibilities.
Here is Thomas' Tweet as posted on September 4, 2009 in response to the job opening at BFG Communications:
@BFGCom @SloaneKelley It seems that
BFG's future could be looking bright!http://twitpic.com/ggkrf More info athttp://bit.ly/2aziWg. What he did rightThomas directed his message to both the company at large and to Sloane Kelley, the woman who would have direct say in who should or shouldn't have the job.
The spelling in the message is correct.
Thomas utilized every possible Twitter function (message, visual media, & link to outside website) in his quest to contact his potential employer.
The twitpic or picture embedded in the Tweet" was creative and showed Thomas' personality.
The second link in the message took Twitter users, and in particular Sloane Kelley and her
colleagues, to Thomas' blog, a website packed with two years worth of his personal ramblings with a purpose. From what Kelley read, Thomas' postings were appropriate for the business world, yet creative enough to pique her attention and leave her looking to learn more about the writer, Hal Thomas.
Other notable Tweets Not all companies will find "Tweeting" a valuable hiring tool. With BFG Communications, relying on Twitter.com to weed out the candidates was par for the course.
The world-renowned marketing agency was looking to hire someone who would essentially Tweet as well as use other social media sites on a constant basis to connect with target audiences.
How well a candidate markets him or herself using Twitter could be a good indication of how well that person will be able to market a product or service also using Twitter.
Kelley said many candidates had good Tweets. She wrote about the notable Tweets in, what else? A
blog.
Be sure to watch the interview with Hal Thomas and Sloane Kelley from WJCL & Fox28's The Morning Show playing in the right side of this website. Also, follow morning anchor, Jessica Kiss on Twitter (jessicakissWJCL)!
