Handbook Preview: What a Job Seeker’s Twitter Bio Should—And Shouldn’t—Look Like
By Marian Schembari, Brazen Life, http://blog.brazencareerist.com
BrazenLife is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work – this isn’t your parents’ career-advice blog. Be Brazen.Marian Schembari is a blogger, traveler and all-around social media thug. She’s based in Auckland, New Zealand, hails from Connecticut and blogs at marianlibrarian.com. Most savvy job seekers nowadays know the benefits of using social media to hunt down a job. LinkedIn profiles, Facebook ads, blogging, Twitter… If you’re not taking advantage of the opportunities these networks provide, you’ve either made a conscious decision to avoid them or you’re just lazy. So I’m not going to sit here and talk at you about how the more people you know, the better for your career. Nor will I explain for the umpteenth time how learning social media is a hugely valuable skill for almost any job out there. What I am going to bitch to you about though is how to position yourself when you do take the plunge. Raise your virtual hand if you’ve seen someone on Twitter who’s bio looks like this:Recent grad from Fancy College. ~*~*~ HIRE ME ~*~*~ #communications #marketing #health
Ohmygodshootmenow. Let’s break down why this bio doesn’t work and what to do instead. No-no: “Recent grad from Fancy College” You have 140 characters on Twitter to show off your skills. Do you think anyone will care what college you went to? Maybe, but new graduates often put more emphasis on school than they need to. Your university can provide a great connection; if someone sees you graduated from their alma mater, that could open some doors. That’s why I added my Davidson affiliation when I was looking for work, not because our network is huge, but because Davidson grads are like a cult. They WILL help you out. But. Remember that very few of the people you meet on Twitter will have gone to your school. That means maybe your school shouldn’t be your No. 1 selling point. Instead: Give priority to your skills, experience and passion, and add your alma mater only if you have space. Potential employers will eventually figure out where you graduated from. A LOT of recent grads are looking for work. Do you really want to be yet another unemployed, over-educated kid looking for a job? Avoiding the traditional “Recent grad looking for work” trap will help you stand out. No-no: “HIRE ME” ——— Not sure why “HIRE ME” is a no-no? Download the Handbook for the Recently Unemployed for FREE and find out. You’ll also learn 3 other big common don'ts for your Twitter bio with suggestions on how to fix them!