While recent grads were filled with joy, excitement and hopes for the future leading up to graduation, they were mistaken when hit with the cold, dreary reality of today’s job market. 

Tears of joy have now turned into tears of panic and fear. And while living in your parent’s basement watching Scooby Doo cartoons every morning at 25 years old is still considered, well, sad, it is not so uncommon with today’s economy.

With today’s social media platforms – Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter – recent grads and current undergrads have the ability to brand themselves in order to gain an advantage among other post-collegians. Branding yourself, much like how a company brands itself, is a great way to increase the chances of finding a job in this volatile climate.

Here are some tips on how to brand yourself using Twitter.

Establish your Twitter handle | Establishing an appropriate Twitter handle is important; it acts as your first impression over the Internet. Your Twitter handle will be the way people, industry professionals and connections will connect, communicate and follow you. By establishing your appropriate handle as your full name, it will ensure that no one else in the Twittersphere is posing as you. Be appropriate; it’s not AOL circa 1996, when XOcutiebabeX0 was an appropriate user name.

Have a game plan. |Before you dive into your account, decide how you want to brand yourself. Have a strategy. Make sure you complete your user profile with relevant information such as previous internships, awards or outstanding accolades. Also include any appropriate personal blogs you may have. Your ultimate goal is to gain and maintain followers – no one wants to follow an account that doesn’t look or feel legitimate. In order to help, try using other individuals’ (in your related field) Twitter pages as a guide.

Become an expert. |Whether you’re searching for a job in communications, business or healthcare, become an expert. Don’t tweet about last night’s drunken shenanigans or the Big Mac you just ate; I guarantee potential employers or contacts will look the other way. Instead, tweet about interesting, engaging topics in your respective field. Be consistent, relative and current. The more you tweet, the more creditable you become, and soon you will gain more followers. Be sure to follow industry leaders to stay up to date on related industry news (who knows, you might come across a Tweet about a job opening). If you need help generating content, try signing up for Google alerts related to your field.

With hundreds of face-less job applications piling up on companies desks, it’s difficult to stand out in the right way. What if potential employers sought you out? Using Twitter is a unique way to get your name recognized.

These are just a few tips to get you started on your job searching journey. Good luck grads!