In a Twitter-Idol Moment, Company Holds Contest to Select Interns via Tweets

by Deb Dib • No Comments • Filed under: The Latest, Twitter Job Search Guide

We found a New York Times story of  March 24, 2011 to be a fascinating testament to the growing use of Twitter to support easier hiring. Here’s what happened:

In the latest bow to the power of digital and the latest blow to old-school resumes, the Campbell Mithun ad agency in Minneapolis held a unique contest to select 6 summer interns.

The criteria? Make a case for hire in 13 tweets written in 13 days, starting February 13. 425 people registered and 300 submitted tweets. The tweets were identified by the hashtag #L13, for Lucky 13. 32 applicants were selected by a committee of 37 employees and the finalists were interviewed in person or via Skype.

An unusual feature of the event was that the nature of Twitter enabled the contestants to size-up their competitors via their tweets (aggregated in the #L13 stream). As in American Idol, many bonded and found common ground, despite rivalry for the same position.

Debbie Fischer, vice president and human resources manager said that Campbell Mithun had been wanting to shake up their process and with the digital nature of their work, a digital solution aimed at 20-somethings made sense.

We predict that sourcing through tweets will grow exponentially as companies become even more time-, cost-, and value-conscious. They’ll want candidates who communicate quickly, effectively, and passionately over many platforms.

A strong Twitter presence may just be the new resume. What do you think?

About the author(s), Deb Dib