How to use Twitter to land your dream job

When he applied to be Krispy Kreme Philadelphia‘s next sales and marketing manager, Braden Young knew he had to stand out.
“I applied for so many jobs that I thought I was perfect for,” says Young who lives in Abington. “But I still wouldn’t hear a thing.”
Instead of sending a standard black-and-white resume and crossing his fingers like he did with his other applications, Young got to work. He created the @HireMeKrspyKrme Twitter account where he drummed up support from his Twitter community to help his cause of landing his dream job with the donut maker while making a cover letter to match.
After only a few days, Young said that complete strangers, many in Philadelphia’s technology community, were pestering Krispy Kreme on his behalf, demanding that he be hired. A WMGK DJ even forwarded the account to the KrispyKreme CEO.
After only a few weeks, the hard work paid off, and Young eventually was invited for an interview.


“During my first meeting with them, one hiring manager said ‘We’re kinda worried that you’re crazy’,” said Young.
However, after a few round of interviews, Young landed his dream job. Below, he offers his advice for anyone thinking of using social media as part of a job application:

1. Make sure the brand has some sort of social media presence. Young says he knew that Krispy Kreme was already active on Twitter and was likely to see his efforts.
2. Keep it quiet when asked. After the company asked Young not to tweet about his interview process, he quieted the account. A similar account, @USATODAYhireme (now deleted), tweeted during the interview process and ended up not getting the job.
3. Social media job application campaigns are not for every company. Young says he knew that Krispy Kreme had a reputation for being fun, so he thought he could be a bit more adventurous.
4. Make sure it’s a national brand. Other people probably won’t get excited for your application to a local small business. Make sure it’s a company others can identify with.

Now that he has his dream gig, Young says he’s focused on business, including the company’s expansion to Center City at 16th and Chestnut in early May.