By Dan Simmons
Did you know that Twitter can make or break landing that dream job you have your heart set on? Earlier this year, I wrote about how social media acts many times as the second background check. I see it all too often in today’s job market; candidates not taking employers seriously when it comes to cleaning up their online identity. Reason being – most don’t know how to start creating a professional online identity for themselves. To most, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn have been for social interaction, but these tools have are being utilized as a screening tool for employers and recruiters alike. Are you prepared?
Here are 10 of the most important Twitter tips to guide you in establishing yourself online as the candidate everyone wants to hire.
1. Be You, but with a handle that you would want employers to see
- Too often the online culture makes it easy to be someone you aren’t without anyone knowing. Likes, dislikes, skills, experience. Being you helps you find the right employer versus trying to be someone you aren’t and then wasting both or your time. I don’t know who “budWiser@mailhost.com who lives in Marijuana USA” is, but if I were him/her and was looking for a job, I would make certain employers couldn’t match the handle to me. Not every employer believes in “Spreading the truth about Marijuana one follower at a time.”
2. Take a professional headshot
- Think of how you would present yourself for an interview. Rules of thumb: Cleavage, short skirts, hats, scruffy faces, and undone hair are out. Oh, and you wouldn’t bring your friends, your animal or your child with you either, unless you were looking for a job in the animal veterinary sciences.
3. Don’t Swear
- Be classy. Being crude, rude, or both, won’t earn points. Save the “sailor talk” for another venue.
4. Clean Up You Friends
- Your mother always said, “You’re judged by the company you keep.” Still true today. If you wouldn’t feel safe bringing these friends into the interview room with you for fear of what they might say or how they might act – delete them or at least hide them from public view.
5. Stay positive
- Nobody likes a glass-half-empty teammate. Stay positive by sharing content that is seen as productive and optimistic.
6. Be Responsive
- Make sure you respond to direct messages, re-tweets and @replies. Not responding to these things is like not acknowledging a handshake. Just rude.
7. Be Knowledgeable
- Posting useless content doesn’t help anyone, especially if you’re looking for a job. Showing insight and interest in current events shows you’re aware of what’s going on around you.
8. Clean Up Links
- Posting links to your friends’ blogs on mud wrestling or pictures of last night’s frat party isn’t the best choice when promoting yourself to a future employer. Drop the fun and games and get down to business.
9. Use Hashtags
- Hashtags are keywords. It’s how people, places and things are found on search engines daily. Keyword your interests & your skills. It will make you more “findable” to employers & recruiters searching for prospects.
10. Be Organized!
- No one likes clutter. Messy social media sites, twitter bogged down with horrible color schemes, and confusing logos don’t send the right message. Make your profile clean and concise with little pieces of your personality thrown in.
Be the candidate that you would want to hire. Heading into the interview room these days isn’t the only way employers evaluate you. Make sure you’re prepared on all fronts to make the best possible impression. Taking the time to do this will land you your dream career in no time!
Daniel C. Simmons is a Certified Personnel Consultant who has been recruiting since 1991. Dan has won over twenty awards in the last decade with the Top Echelon Network, America’s leading placement network including Placer of the Year in 2009 & 2010.
Frequently Dan also is a recruiter trainer and has been featured at various Top Echelon Conventions and online as a speaker for various webinars. He has also been published in The Fordyce Letter the recruiting industry’s #1 magazine.
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