Introduction

Note one: built-in search

You can also use the Advanced Search function by following the link: https://twitter.com/search-advanced. You will see a window where you can enter more precise search terms. Each line corresponds to familiar boolean search operators, such as AND, OR, NOT. Additional filters are also available on the page.

You can search by tweets or go to the People section and search by profiles (accounts).

This is a good way to find someone if you know the exact name. In other cases, this is not the best way to search, as you will see a lot of junk in the results (irrelevant profiles, job ads, etc.).

Note two: lists

However, with the help of the built-in search, you can find the profiles you need. For easy storage and quick access to previously found candidates, you can use the Lists feature.

To do this, go to the Lists tab and create a new list by specifying its name and description. You can make your list private and add a picture.

The most pleasant feature of lists is recommendations. The Twitter algorithm will offer you other profiles that are similar to the ones you’ve already added to your list. This makes it convenient to conduct a passive search.

Note three: groups

In addition to Twitter profiles, there are also groups. For example, for our search (Java programmer), the following group is relevant https://twitter.com/full_stack_java.

There, in the list of subscribers, you can find interesting candidates and write to them directly in private messages on Twitter. Or use the profile info to search for their contacts.

Note four: Alternative search methods — Followerwonk

Since Twitter is not designed for searching for candidates or jobs, it has a number of obvious disadvantages — there is no sorting, search by country/region, and suggested profiles are not always relevant. Fortunately, some of these problems are solved by the Followerwonk service.

You can register there for free and use its more convenient search, which includes keywords (and search in the entire profile or only in the bio), location, and other useful filters.

In the search bar in Followerwonk, you can even use boolean operators, although we recommend not to rely hard on them, because it is unlikely that any developer has indicated all his/her/their skills in the Twitter profile.

Note five: Alternative Search Methods — XRay Search

We are sure you already know about X-ray search, so let’s once again repeat how to use it when searching for candidates on Twitter.

You will need to specify which site we are searching on, what exactly you are looking for, and not to forget about exceptions. For example, remove tweets with vacancies from the search results.

You can use the following request: site:twitter.com java AND Developer AND Tbilisi -job -hiring

Or you can also use the search for public lists, then the request will look like this: site:twitter.com lists java

Conclusion

Thank you for your time, we hope this article was useful to you! And if you want to get personal advice on finding the best candidates or work together, please contact us.