Twitter and job search don’t usually go hand in hand, but Twitter is a fantastic tool to help you with your job search. You can use Twitter to learn about the industries you are interested in joining and follow thought-leaders and maybe even connect with them in a conversation.

When I help people re-do their resumes and personal brand online I always ask to see their social profiles. One of the first things I ask is how they use them. When I ask about Twitter everyone seems to laugh, but I don’t find it funny. Twitter is a great tool and recruiters are already on it. The Society for Human Resource Management recently found that more than 75% of companies use social networking sites to recruit job candidates — and recruiters are often going beyond professionally oriented platforms like LinkedIn.

Regarding Facebook use, 66% of recruiters use the platform for discovering talent, while 54% of recruiters turn to Twitter when vetting candidates. So if you have a Twitter channel (who you follow or what you tweet) full of politically charged, offensive, inappropriate or just a stagnate Twitter feed it is time for a mini facelift. (Word to the wise: I would clean that up before applying or add thought valued tweets.)

Here are the fast facts to using Twitter in your job search or even to help you land a job:

Be Professional

• Make sure your handle is either your name or related to your profession, or even a combination will work.
• A professional headshot is a must.
• Briefly describe the type of opportunity you are looking for, and add links to your website and/or LinkedIn profile, if appropriate.

Be a Thought Leader

• Share knowledge and interest in your field by tweeting links to relevant articles or samples of your work.
• Retweets are great but don’t forget to add your own content.
• Re-tweet, reply and direct message to establish connections.

Follow the Leaders

• Follow organizations and lists and look for interesting Twitter chats or Tweetups to join.
• Follow the authorities in your desired field.
• Ask questions or seek out advice from these authorities.

Search & Conquer

• Search and follow hashtags relevant to your industry and your search. There is a great list of hashtag for job search located here: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/01/27/9-must-follow-twitter-hashtags-for-job-seekers or here: http://www.payscale.com/career-news/2014/02/10-popular-twitter-hashtags-for-job-seekers-to-follow
• Search for jobs by location, job titles, hashtags or social recruiting resources.

Don’t be afraid to be creative. Think outside the box and tell your future company that you are coming with an engaged audience and have become an expert or engaged user in your field. Happy hunting!