How does Twitter help you land a dream job? It is usually not as easy as tweeting “I need a job!” and people start giving you job offers, but that sometimes worked depending how known you are in your industry. For example, Bill Gates tweeting that he is looking for work would, after the initial shock and disbelief, create a mad scramble by computer specialists and programmers to sign him up!

But since not everyone has the same reputation and stature as Bill Gates, landing a job using Twitter usually involves some work.

For those who have been pinned under a huge rock and were unable to boot up their computers in the last 5 years, Twitter is a social networking site that allows you to connect with other people. Basically, one updates his or her contacts by posting short messages that are up to 140 characters in length, in a process that has come to be known as “microblogging”.

For some low-level jobs, you can also use Twitter to search job openings. Freelance writers have long known the value of Twitter in getting the writing jobs they need. People usually post job openings on their Twitter accounts, and all you have to do is to search for them. There are also people on Twitter who do nothing but post job opening, whether it is their own or somebody else’s. Moreover, recruiters (in-house or third-party agents) sometimes lurk on Twitter to find the right candidates for their vacancies.

But these are usually for entry-level or low level jobs. Certainly, a supervisory position on Twitter would not be easy to come by, more so for management posts. So how can Twitter benefit job seekers who are in for a more rewarding career?

1. It introduces them to the people in their industries.

Not necessarily you, but what you do. You could easily get a Twitter name like “HCPractitioner”, “TopNotchWriter”, or “UrBroker”. On top of that, having a Twitter account can help you get connected with the heavyweights in your industry. If you are in healthcare, you might want to connect with the nation’s top doctors, employees from top healthcare, pharmaceutical and medical companies, and people from your own company. The beauty of Twitter is that these connections are easily built over time, enough for you to have a good network of people that could come in handy when you want to further your career.

2. It makes marketing yourself easier and FREE.

Once you follow — and get followed — by the right people, you can start building yourself and your reputation up. Think of Twitter as a way to get your brand out. SEO specialists often post links to SEO articles that they wrote themselves on their Twitter accounts. Sometimes, they point people to the latest news about SEO. This helps build their credibility and gives them an image of being on top of something as dynamic as SEO. As with everything else on the Internet, good content is king.

3. It helps you build relationships.

You should also use Twitter to build relationships with your contacts. You can certainly learn from the heavyweights in your industry – this alone is a good way to further your knowledge and career. But if the opportunity comes up and they could learn FROM you, then take it. Twitter is a good way to mine for those opportunities.

Once you have a well-established reputation on Twitter, you can easily connect with your network should the time come for you to look for a better job. Or, they could be needing extra help in their management duties and easily have you in mind.