By Yvonne Milosevic
With all the kerfuffles that seem to break out hourly on social media, it’s understandable that some people prefer to lurk in the background rather than broadcast their views on the day’s news. If you fall into that camp, we’re here to highlight a potential advantage you’re missing out on. Namely, that savvy social media sharing, particularly on Twitter, can boost your career and help you get a better job.
No matter what industry you work in, a personal brand is essential to achieving your career goals. With 330 million active monthly users, Twitter is one of the most robust social networks out there. So, why not dip your toe into the Twitterverse and capitalize on the platform’s potential to help bolster Brand You?
First, make sure your profile puts you in your best light. Use a professional photo and choose a handle that makes it easy to find and recognize you. Don’t forget to include a short description of yourself and your interests and experience. Next, decide on a theme or tone that will run through all your posts. What do you want to be known for? How would you want people to describe you? Dedicate your Twitter feed to validating that vision.
Lastly, if your current profile needs an overhaul, a good place to begin is with a spring cleaning of your old tweets. Review them through the lens of, “How would a potential employer react to this post?” Delete all tweets that give you pause. Better safe than sorry.
Once you’ve optimized your account setup, it’s time to add the meat.
Tweeting Your Way to a Better Job
Ready? Let the updating begin! Start with a mix of original content and shares/retweets from others. You can use Twitter to showcase your deep industry knowledge regardless of your field. Post articles from respected sources and make sure to include your thoughts and opinions about the content. Likewise, you can ask followers for their reactions, too. Commenting on other people’s posts is another effective way to strengthen your brand.
Are you a marketing guru? You can easily weigh in on—or share—what some of the biggest brands are doing on social media. Maybe your career to date has led you to become a burgeoning expert on microfinance. Let people know when you were quoted in a blog or asked to appear on a panel.
If your career goal is to work for a company that develops clean-energy solutions, tweet links to the latest articles and books you’re reading. Make sure to post about any conferences you attend. You can also give your take on the most promising advancements in the field.
According to new research led by UT McCombs School of Business professor Andrew Whinston, executives who regularly promote themselves on social media have the upper hand when it comes to landing high-paying job offers that advance their careers.
C-level job candidates who posted to Twitter more often, touting their personal brands, were more likely to be offered jobs at high salaries than executives who had not been promoting their personal brands online. —Andrew Whinston
“We found that the idea of self-promotion is indeed a valid concept, and that it’s worth some time and effort to promote yourself on Twitter,” says Whinston. But these findings certainly apply to lower-level workers, too.
Without a doubt, people aiming for the C-suite should include Twitter in their toolkits. Taking the time to promote their personal brand, post high-quality content, and engage with like-minded professionals may make getting a better job much easier. And put them several steps closer to that executive-level goal.