There really is value in the various forms of online networking. I asked my friend Chris Garrigues to share his experience in nearly landing a job through Twitter. In the end this job fell through for Chris, but the lessons are no less instructive. Thank you Chris for sharing this story!

When I started twittering back in June, one of my goals was to see if it would be useful in finding a job.  I asked Jason Alba of JibberJobber.com fame if it would be and he said:

"For a job search I'd suggest it's not going to be much help (prove me wrong, though, if you can :p).  It's more of a long-term relationship building tool... so if had been on for a year, and had built a network, I could see that being really helpful, but for now, it's going to be more of listening to who is out there, what they are saying, and how you could develop relationships with them... just my two cents."  

My Twitter job seeking strategy was to follow anybody in recruiting or HR I could find located in the Austin area. My hope was to be “top of mind” for these recruiters if they should find something that would be a good fit for me.  I followed several of them and they followed me back.  Of course, I also continued pursuing the job boards and working my traditional network and attending events like the ones held by Door64.

As the months went by, I didn't think about Twitter as part of my job search strategy, but more as just one of the tools I use to stay in touch with some key parts of my network.  It also became a place where I felt comfortable discussing the presidential election with a diverse group of people. I ignored the advice of Scott Ingram who was concerned that I would offend half the people out there no matter which side I took.

One Tuesday afternoon in early October, while watching my girls at a playground, I sent the following tweet:

"Isn't 'tying McCain to the Keating 5' like tying John Lennon to the Beatles?" (from TPM, but paraphrased) 4:43 PM Oct 7th 

@DeepEddy Oh that is funny! And look how open minded (sellout!) I am that I can laugh at the jokes from the other side? 4:48 PM Oct 7th 

His very next tweets were:

So we need to find a Network Engineer, but the manager INSISTS on an actual BS in Comp Sci (no MIS/IS). I have never met such a creature. ?? 5:23 PM Oct 7th

Most people with Computer Science degrees become programmers/developers/etc, not Server/Router people. Thats how I see it - anyone disagree? 5:24 PM Oct 7th

I responded: 

@davidrees I'm one. We exist. When I started in R&D labs, having only a BS made me undereducated. DM me re this position. 6:12 PM Oct 7th 

@davidrees I'm mostly a Unix systems guy w/ management experience. What's the client willing to pay? 6:15 PM Oct 7th

David discovered that I wasn't in his files, so I sent him a résumé and told him how glad I was that he found my joke funny.  By the next day he had told me that I had one of the best IT résumés he'd seen, but it might be a little while before I heard from them since this was the least important of three positions they were filling.  Two hours later, he called me back to see if I could talk to the guy the next day.

Lessons I can draw from the experience:

1. Pursue multiple channels when looking for a job and feel free to try things nobody else has done.
2. You can get away with discussing “controversial” issues like politics if you are never mean about it and remain in good humor.  I never lost a Twitter follower as a result and even got an interview through someone who had opposing views.  You gotta remain likable, however.  I wouldn't try it if you aren't capable of being liked and respected by people who disagree with you.
3. Never stop prospecting until you have an offer in hand.  The job I eventually got turned up during a time that I thought this one was going to come through.