According to an infogram on webanalyticsworld.net, Twitter is currently home to over 465 million accounts, and flies through 175 million tweets a day. Is it any wonder then, that recruitment agencies and departments are using this as a search tool for fresh blood?
The standard account allows the searcher to see a picture of the potential employee, along with a miniature bio and a stream of comments that enlightens them to the personality that would normally be hidden during an interview. With the ever-expanding influence of social media, comes the responsibility of its users; sites like Twitter are no longer used as simple means of communication between friends, they can be a tool, a weapon, and a gift. For students, this development comes at a crucial time. When jobs seem scarce and efforts fruitless, the potential in Twitter should be something all young people are getting a hold of! In order to really improve your chances of kick starting a career via social media, a Twitter detox should be carried out.
Twitter Detox: Step One
Make yourself a pretty picture. If you're climbing up a lamppost whilst wielding a half empty bottle of Jack Daniel's on your profile picture - get rid. No employer wants to know the social life of their employee, especially if it involves anti-social behavior and drugs. You need to be shown as tidy, happy, and preferably sober as a judge.
Twitter Detox: Step Two
Clean up your language. I understand the need to swear, for some people it's a fantastic way to let off steam and instantly lightens an attitude once the venom has been spat out! However, nothing you have to say that involves crude language or vulgarities is Twitter-appropriate. If you really feel the need to let someone know how angry/sad/frustrated you are, text a friend privately and get some advice, before you lose respectability in front of the World Wide Web.
Twitter Detox: Step Three
Keep it brief. Your bio should reveal the best things about you in 160 characters. If you can't think of anything to say, then post a link to something that can. For example, I have a link to my personal blog on my Twitter profile, and that has helped me get views, as well as instantly inform anybody stalking my profile that I love to write- and I didn't even have to tell them, I showed them! The snappier and more attractive your bio is, the more memorable it will be, and that is absolutely vital if you're trying to get ahead of a thousand other Tweeters.
Besides all this, remember to stay positive. If someone's looking to recruit, they want a bubbly character that will get the job done with a smile!