LinkedIn is a great social network for finding work. Many companies use it for hiring and it is very easy to find a recruiter. However it is not the only social network out there which you can use for finding your next job. Here are 10 reasons why Twitter is better than LinkedIn for finding work.
1. It is more casual
One of the main differences between the two platforms is that Twitter feels more fun and casual whereas LinkedIn is more formal and business orientated. People tend to be themselves when in a more casual scene it is easier to express yourself and meet people. On LinkedIn it has more of a formal strict feel to it and many job seekers get harassing and spam messages from recruiters and some companies which makes the experience feel negative.
2. Developers are more open to connecting with their peers
On Twitter it feels far more natural to follow other developers who usually follow you back. Almost everyone is open to it regardless if you know them in real life or not. However the same rules don't always apply when using LinkedIn. Firstly you have to send a connection request which the person you are trying to connect with could easily refuse. So in this sense the platform is more closed than it is open like Twitter.
3. Less recruiters more companies
There are recruiters on Twitter however their main playground is LinkedIn that is where they do most of their work. On Twitter you are more likely to engage with companies who see your work or people who work for those companies. Thats an easy way to make a new connection because Twitter can feel more like a public journal of your current developer journey. Whereas on LinkedIn it feels more like you are trying to force your CV into someone's face in the hope that it gets you an interview.
4. Engagement is much higher
You are more likely to get noticed on Twitter than you are on LinkedIn. Tweets generally get significantly higher likes because the platform is designed to be more personal and fun. People also tend to spend more time on Twitter because the experience is more enjoyable and they have friends on there. Compared to LinkedIn which feels like a tool specifically designed for work. How many people feel excited to spend hours on LinkedIn all day? Most of the conversations are business focused and there is a lot of spam from recruiters hitting send all and sending you a generic job description. To companies that want you to sign up to their platform.
5. Twitter Spaces is awesome!!!
Twitter Spaces is an audio only chat room where you are in a room with other users. You can talk about anything you want and it is one of the best ways to engage and connect with your followers. I have been using it for a few months now and the experience is extremely positive. It is like live radio and a conference call all in one. I have been in Twitter Spaces rooms where they talk about the best ways for finding work, different technical stacks and better ways on promoting yourself. It is like getting insider secrets that you can use to boost your career prospects. The casual feel of the rooms is very inviting too. This is a feature which LinkedIn currently does not have.
6. It is a good way to gauge personality and culture fit
On Twitter you are free to express yourself anyway you want. So the tweets that you do can be a good indication of what your personality is like. In contrast people tend to be more serious and business minded on LinkedIn so they are likely to say things in a more formal manner that is more appropriate for a cover letter or resume. On LinkedIn when you look at a profile you are only looking at someones past experience in most cases. Whereas if you look at Twitter you could see what projects they are currently working on and the type of learning they are doing.
7. It is a better learning tool
Yes, I know that LinkedIn Learning exists but hear me out. LinkedIn Learning is only free as a 1 month trial after that you need to pay for it. When compared to what's on offer with Twitter it can't really compete. There are thousands of developers using Twitter and many of them share FREE resources each day as well as giving their own insights into learning strategies.
8. Blogging opens up doors to new opportunities
This is another area where Twitter wins. Because the platform feels more casual people use it for writing articles and blogging. I have been doing this for over 1 year and have grown my network on different platforms. It has even opened up doors to a few freelance jobs as a technical writer. The content you put on Twitter can really help you to grow as a developer. Sure you can post the same content on LinkedIn but we go back to the topic of engagement. The audience is usually not as big and most people tend to have more recruiters as connections than developers so the content you write might not be as applicable for them.
9. Less ghosting
Connections that you have on Twitter feel more real in my opinion. That's because it is easier to connect with people as you have a common interest and it is socially acceptable to talk about any topic. The same can't be said of LinkedIn where it feels like everyone you connect with is just a business partner. The biggest reason for this is that you are typically going to be connecting with recruiters and they use the platform for work and not socialising. So the topics of conversation are more strict and business focused. Because of this it is hard to form strong connections with people and if you are unsuccessful with a few interviews then you become forgotten and the recruiter moves onto someone else. Twitter feels more supportive as you are going through the same problems other developers have so instead of losing connections you gain them for being more authentic.
10. Twitter has a more active community
Twitter has about 335 million monthly active users whereas LinkedIn has 294 million monthly active users. While the difference is not hugely dissimilar it can make a difference. In general people tend to spend far more time on Twitter than they do with LinkedIn which means you have a much higher chance of someone responding or noticing something that you said. You are also likely to see much more posts on Twitter and likely more profile views as well. You also have the added bonus of growing your developer network at a much faster rate.
Final Thoughts
I really hope that you enjoyed reading this article and learned something from it. As a content creator and technical writer I am passionate about sharing my knowledge and helping other people reach their goals. Let's connect on Twitter, LinkedIn and GitHub.
You can also check out my website https://andrewbaisden.com/
I will just leave you one last easter egg 🥚. These are lyrics from a song lets see if you can find it 😉
"If we'll be united
We're stronger together
We always have the high hope
Not all for one but one for all"
Peace ✌️
Top comments (9)
Good article! Apparently I will need to register on Twitter
I would say that having a Twitter is essential if you are a developer. I have learned so much about programming and connected with many great people on there. It is one of the best free learning and networking tools out there.
Thanks for the advice!
i strongly agree with you @clay
all the big tech, has proprietory algorithms. to get more followers, or views, you need to satisfy this new God. The Algorithm. (of the social media)
these platforms have lots of biases, in all areas.
i strongly believe in a decentralized and fair internet.
Twitter doesn't has a company job market section, linkedin does
Yes I know that the article was supposed to show a few areas where Twitter can excel. Of course both platforms are good when it comes to looking for work. Not everyone associates Twitter as a platform for job seekers and its a missed opportunity.
Good article!
Thank for this article, It is really useful, never thought about those points.
What are your thoughts on platforms like Mastodon and BitClout ?