This is a blog post in a series of articles about getting a job in tech. Confused? Here’s the first post
Put Yourself Out There 🔗
Jobs don’t always come to you - you have to put in the work and let people know who you are and that you’re on the market.
Twitter 🔗
If you’re not on Twitter and you’re looking for a job in tech - I’m sorry but you’re at a disadvantage. There’s an entire world of opportunities that you’re not getting exposed to. I cannot talk more highly about how amazing Twitter has been for my career.
When you go to meetups and events, you get the opportunity to meet people across the industry. You learn about new companies, you learn about new roles, and hear about unique opportunities that would be extremely rare in the online job search. Networking is critical for finding those ultra unique roles.
What if there was a magical place on the internet where you could have the same kind of networking effect? Sounds even more exciting now with Covid, where in person events are not happening.
Welcome to Twitter.
Twitter is the developer’s LinkedIn.
The same kind of networking effect you can have by meeting people and going to meetups, you can have on Twitter. What’s even more amazing about Twitter is that it makes people highly accessible! If there’s someone in tech you look up to, there’s a good chance they’ll respond to a tag in a tweet, or even in a direct message (if their direct messages are open). The secret is that people want to help! I’ll be covering how to write an engaging cold DM/ cold email in an upcoming blog post, so be sure to stay for that.
People put out asks on Twitter - whether it’s getting help on a technical issue, looking for a mentor, or looking to hire the perfect person, information spreads fast on twitter and there will always be a few eyes on posts that may belong to the perfect person to answer the post.
Twitter definitely helps streamline the job process - you’ll find hiring managers sharing on their profile that they’re looking. As a bonus, they are really excited to answer questions and talk to potential hires in replies and dms. Sometimes, people will share job opportunities that don’t even make it to the company’s hiring page. This is definitely the place to find the really interesting jobs in tech.
To be honest, without Twitter, I wouldn’t have the job I have today. It’s become an essential part of my role as a developer relations engineer, and I constantly use it to find interesting events, articles, thoughts, and even jobs that I then share with friends.
As a bonus, you’ll also be able to hear first hand what is happening in the tech world - as much as I don’t want to call it drama and gossip, that’s what it is. Word spreads fast in the tech industry, and Twitter helps. By being on twitter you can learn in real time about companies and potential managers, keeping you safe and keeping you on a stable path.
Still don’t believe me about Twitter? 🔗
Check out this presentation by @nikillinit where he talks about the benefits of twitter and how he uses it, and this workshop with David Perell and Matthew Kobach where they explain “how to crush it on twitter.”
Hopefully, I’ve now gotten you on board with twitter. You’re probably asking —— what do I do first?
Start with creating your Twitter Account!
As Marc Andresson said - it’s time to build! You’re working on building a network. My friend Chris Sean would call this working on building a brand - I think this is just strategy for a better future.
BTW - follow me on Twitter
