When the going gets tough, the tough take to Twitter

Kamloops resident Jordan Piper, 30, is using Twitter as a job search tool.

Image Credit: (Contributed)

January 23, 2014 - 2:03 PM

KAMLOOPS - After a year struggling to find work, a Kamloops man has taken to the social media equivalent of a sandwich board in the city square—Twitter.

His message is pretty clear—his Twitter name is Hire Me Please (@TheJordanPiper)—and he's been filling #Kamloops with his linkedIn address, resume and plea in 140 characters or less.

"I'm loyal to a good employer," he says in one tweet. In another: "I have 10 years of hospitality experience. Let's talk."

Jordan Piper, 30, spent the last year striking out in traditional job searching in newspapers and job boards.

“I more or less got up one morning and thought Twitter seems to be a good resource for promotion of business and networking online,” he said. “I’m trying to do some innovative things that would set me apart from other candidates.”

He opted away from Facebook because it's too personal. And so far, Twitter has already paid off, at least with an offer of a coffee and a chat with a local business.

Here are some of his tweets:

Image Credit: (Twitter)

Student employment coordinator at TRU Susan Forseille says it's not a bad idea for employees like Piper to try unusual methods, so long as its not the only method.

“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” she says. “Definitely sign-up and be part of the conversations online, but it’s part of a bigger strategy.”

Forseille said the Internet has changed everything in job search but she still recommends face-to-face networking, attending conferences and researching specific job markets and requirements. And focus.

“‘When I think of Twitter, and I think of the Kamloops market, I’m thinking, “Who are the influential decision makers hiring for those positions?” Forseille said. “Are they using social media, are they using Twitter?”

Piper is looking for a management position, ideally in hospitality where he has experience and education. So far, it appears to be a tough market in Kamloops.

“There isn’t a lot of management jobs in hospitality,” he said.

To contact a reporter for this story, email: jwallace@infotelnews.ca, call: (250) 319-7494 or tweet: @jess__wallace.