How to Make Your #Twesume Count

7/13/2012

Click the image to check out Sree Sreenivasan's public list of effective Twitter bios. Make yours worthy of being added.

In a prior blog post about my interaction with recent college graduate Erika J. Glover I promised to reveal what makes a good #twesume, that is, the 160 characters (maximum) that make up your Twitter bio. Well, an aspiring sports broadcaster read the post and quickly emailed me to ask for immediate twesume help. Here it is.

I first heard the term twesume from social media guru Sree Sreenivasan at the Poynter Institute's Teachapalooza conference for journalism educators in June. "Fill out your Twitter bio so it reflects the best, most recent version of you," said Sreenivasan, Columbia University's new chief digital officer. He also said, "I tell my students: Make your Twitter bio blue." Translation: Use Twitter handles and hashtags that can help your bio appear in broad searches.

A quick Google search found this useful Web link: "How a 140-Character Twitter Resume Could Land Your Next Job." Again, a Twitter bio gets 20 more characters than a tweet. Also see "Get Your Twesume On," "Guidelines for Twitter Bios," "How Short Can Your CV Get? Tried a 'Twesume' Yet?" and "How to: Effective Twitter Bios."

Make your 160 characters count! Aspiring journalists: Do your best to use AP style and correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. Look how Erika went from "South Carolina born – Pennsylvania tested Reporter/Anchor for the @CentreCountyRep. PSU Alumna/Journalist/Travel Enthusiast" to "2012 @penn_state grad! Aspiring international #journalist seeking first TV reporting job. #NABJ member ready to shoot, edit & write! Purveying #Olympics facts." Which version is more likely to draw more eyes (from recruiters) her way via Twitter and Internet searches?

You can see my twesume at @herbertlowe. I hope you find this post helpful. Please do let me know.

.@herbertlowe I just wanted to tell you my new favorite word is #twesume. That's brilliant! Need to use it in a blog post!
— Marissa Evans (@marissaaevans) July 6, 2012

17 Comments

Michael LoCicero

8/29/2012 01:38:46 pm

Very interesting. Never something I thought of, but I'm looking forward to hearing more from you about it.

Kaitlyn Farmer

8/29/2012 02:07:32 pm

I still remember when you went over our Twitter profile pictures and our bios. I still laugh when I think of Michael Lenoch's twitter picture. I also love your wife's reaction it his profile as well. You helped all of us work on having a professional Twitter profile.

Patrick Leary

8/29/2012 02:44:48 pm

I agree that the bio is always important on twitter. I think mine used to be "Bs-ing my way through college." That's a hire me statement right there. Not sold on the term "twosome" yet though.

Christopher Chavez

8/29/2012 03:13:27 pm

I've edited my twesume several times recently. It's great when you search something like @Flotrack and then my twitter handle will also come up since I have Flotrack's under mine. It's a nice way to get some followers. I just wish there was just a few more characters to add some wit in there.

Jacob Born

8/29/2012 03:43:06 pm

My #twesume has changed a few times over the course of my short Twitter life, whether it be because I moved up a year in college, or I got a new position at Bleacher Report. But I never had thought of using blue within my bio for twitter searches. I never even knew it was possible to have hashtags from my bio appear in searches.

Ben Greene

8/30/2012 12:27:05 am

One of the first things I did when making my twitter account over the summer was make a #twesume. I must say, I modeled it after the one that @herbertlowe has on his page and I think it makes my page look a lot more professional.

Ryan Ellerbusch

8/30/2012 03:15:31 am

I have made my 160 characters count! As a journalist student at Marquette University, I treat the Twitter bio line as a 160-character about me resume that someone may click on if they want to learn more about my history as a journalist as I include jobs, internships and extra-curricular activities that I have been apart of. Great blog post! I sometimes feel that this Twitter bio line goes unnoticed by a lot of Twitter users. After now reading this blog post, I realize the importance of having a well-written Twitter bio line.

Courtney Johnson

8/30/2012 07:44:30 am

Never heard of a twesume, until this blog! I need a more professional bio that better describes who I am. This blog will enhance my tweets a great deal.

Matt Barbato

9/4/2012 03:01:01 am

I never really thought much about the Twitter bio. Up until a few months ago I didn't really take Twitter seriously. I used it just to mainly sound off on sports and whatever else I had to say. Now I am realizing that Twitter is actually a fine resource to show potential job employers how you represent yourself. After reading this I changed my twesume to something a little more professional.

Caitlin Miller

9/4/2012 05:17:46 am

I did not really think much about my Twitter account, or even bio, until last year in class. For me, Twitter was just a fun social media site that allowed me to express my thoughts and opinions. After thinking about the fact that future employers will be looking at it, I decided to create a separate, more professional account.

Eva Sotomayor

9/4/2012 07:39:14 am

After taking JOUR1100 last semester, I learned the importance of a good twesume. I feel like mine accurately reflects what I'm currently doing in student media as well as reflect my personality. I also changed my Twitter handle to a more professional one and have learned to be more careful about what I say and the language that I use.

David Tukesbrey

9/4/2012 11:10:46 am

Wow, yes, this is something that I never thought of. It just goes to show that if you make all 160 characters count, there might just be somebody out there looking to hire talent. Never thought 160 characters could get somebody hired.

Stephanie Graham

9/4/2012 01:05:23 pm

This definitely just inspired me to change my own "twesume"! Until I declared my journalism major, I never cared too much about getting followers or being taken seriously on Twitter. After seeing others' Twitters and reading this post, I think it's pretty clear that Twitter bios are an important part of one's professional identity.

Casby Bias

9/4/2012 11:32:35 pm

Wait: I didn’t know your bio could be seen in “broad searches.” I know mine can’t be found: I don’t have any hashtags or Twitter mentions. I’ll be sure to fix mine accordingly.

Alexandra Whittaker

9/5/2012 02:20:36 am

I've got to say, I am loving the word twesume, and I think it makes a good point. You have 160 characters to portray yourself in a mini resume that has the potential to be seen by future employers. I feel the need to tweak mine after reading this to make sure that every character I'm using really counts.

Paulo Acuña link

9/5/2012 06:48:32 am

I have yet to develop a good twesume, but JOUR 1100 definitely gave me good tips and showed me the importance of having a good one. With journalism evolving, it is important to, as Herbert Lowe says, "brand yourself." This is a great way to meet people and have people meet you.

how to write a phd link

10/1/2012 02:49:47 pm

First of all let me tell you, you have got a great blog. I am interested in looking for more of such topics and would like to have further information. Hope to see the next blog soon.

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How to Make Your #Twesume Count

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