Create a Twitter Resume

Some jobs now require a Twitter resume in addition to a traditional resume. Unlike traditional resumes, Twitter resumes do not list your prior achievements. Instead, they demonstrate that you are skilled with social media through your online identity. Before you tweet your resume, make sure that you have a professional Twitter account. Take time to carefully craft your 280-character resume so that it intrigues and impresses potential recruiters. You can then send it out to your followers, job accounts, and recruiters themselves.

Steps

Building a Professional Twitter Account

1. Make a new Twitter account. Even if you already have an account for personal use, you should have a separate account for your professional identity. This will demonstrate that you are active in your industry without involving your personal life.
   • Keep this account clean and professional. Avoid making posting personal pictures or using the account for hobbies.
2. Make a username based on your name. Try to incorporate your full name into your handle. For example, if your name is Mary Smith, you might do MSmith, MarySmith, or MaryS.
   • If your name is taken, you might try to use a name that represents your job. For example, you might do something like MiracleEditor, MarytheEditor, or SmithEditing.
3. Write a strong bio. You get 160 characters to write your bio on Twitter. This does not give you much room to describe yourself. Choose two or three essential characteristics about yourself. You can include hobbies as well as professional skills.
   • You do not need to use complete sentences in your bio. For example, your bio might read, “Data analyst. Coffee lover. Full-time cat mom. Database extraordinaire.”
   • Include @ links to the Twitter pages of your current employers. For example, if you work for XYZ Company, you might include "Account manager @XYZLtd."
4. Upload a headshot of yourself. Your picture should be a photograph of your face, so that recruiters can see your personality shine through. Choose a photo where you are clean, well-dressed, and smiling.
5. Follow others in your field. Networking with people in your field will ensure that the right people are seeing your resume. Follow the Twitter accounts of your colleagues or major figures in your field. They may just follow you back!
   • If you go to conferences or professional events, ask people you meet if they have a Twitter. Give them yours in return.
   • You should also follow companies and recruiting firms that might potentially hire you.
6. Tweet content related to your industry. Limit your posts to content, news, developments, and ideas about your industry. Keep the content professional and creative. Do not make inappropriate jokes or complain about your job.
   • For example, if you work in marketing, you might share an interesting article on marketing trends or make a comment on how technology is affecting consumer habits.
   • If you go to a conference, seminar, or other professional event, tweet about how great it was.
7. Avoid tweeting about controversial topics. Your account should be focused on your career and industry, not on current events, politics, or other touchy topics. Keep your Tweets positive. Avoid criticizing or complaining about events.
   • Never use your Twitter to complain about your job, boss, colleagues, or professional events.

Writing Your Twitter Resume

1. Brainstorm your best skills. Remember that you will only have 280 characters to write your resume. Before you begin, make a list of your most marketable skills. Include your years of experience, current job title, and soft skills, such as problem solving or teamwork.
   • For example, your list might include terms like "strong attention to detail," "hard worker," "recent graduate," "experienced," or "programmer."
2. Write a few brief phrases demonstrating your skills. Short phrases are better than complete sentences. You can draft your tweet on a word processor so that you can edit and keep track of the character count.
   • For example, you might write, “Social media ninja and SEO mastermind with five years of experience.”
   • You can also do a list of brief items that describe yourself, such as “Financial guru with fifteen years marketing experience. Great team player. Works well under stress.”
3. Use hashtags to identify your location and ideal job. This will make it easier for the recruiter to find you if they see your tweet. These hashtags can appear anywhere in your tweet.
   • For example, you might say, “Wanted: #SocialMedia manager job in #Chicago.”
4. Use keywords that state your experience. Using major keywords will help a potential recruiter find you more quickly. Come up with at least two or three keywords that are related to your field. Make sure to place a hashtag before them.
   • For example, if you work in advertising, you might include the hashtags #SEO, #optimize, or #pr.
   • If you are a programmer, you might include which languages you are proficient in. For example, you might use #Java, #CSS, or #HTML5.
5. Link to your full resume. Your traditional resume should be posted somewhere online, such as on a personal website or on a networking website. Post a link to it at the end of your Twitter resume so that an interested recruiter can find it.
   • Use a URL shortener, such as Tiny.cc or BitURL, to reduce how many characters you use.
6. Edit it carefully. Once you have all the different parts, put it together, and read through the tweet carefully. Does it represent you as a professional? Is it 280 characters or less? Ask a friend to read over it for you, and give you their opinion.
   • At the end, your Twitter resume may look something like this: “Advertising maven and #photoshop master with ten years of experience seeking perfect #GraphicDesign job in #NewYork. http:// link.cc.”

Tweeting Your Resume

1. Ask your followers to retweet it. If you include the letters "RT" at the beginning of your Twitter resume, your followers may retweet your resume for you. This will increase the amount of views you receive, helping you find a job more quickly.
2. Send it to job hunting Twitters. There are several Twitter accounts, such as @TweetMyResume, that will retweet or post Twitter resumes. You can include their Twitter name in your tweet, or contact them to retweet yours.
3. Include the recruiter's username. If you are applying for a specific job with your resume, send the tweet directly to the social media manager or recruiter. To do this, start the tweet with @ and the recruiter's username.
   • The job description should tell you who to contact with your Twitter resume.
   • You can look for jobs and recruiters by searching the #Jobs, #NowHiring, or #Hiring hashtags.
4. Repost every week. If you don't get any attention at first, wait a week or two before trying again. While you should continue posting your Twitter resume, it is not a good idea to post it every day, as this may annoy your followers. Instead, try posting it once a week or month until you get your dream job.

Tips

• Make sure your profile is public so that recruiters can find you.

References

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See also

• Make a Reference Page
• Write a Follow Up Email to a Resume Submission
• Set up Twitter in iOS
• Use Keywords to Strengthen Your Resume
• Write a Psychology Resume
• Write a Forklift Driver's Resume
• Format a Resume for an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
• Prepare a Resume for a Transcriptionist
• Make a Culinary Resume
• Write Good Resumes to Impress the Employers

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