Twitter for Job HuntersProduced by CfBT in the South Central for National Careers Service Customers

March 2016

Setting Up a Twitter Account

1. Visit https://twitter.com2. Under the “New to Twitter?” box, provide your full name, e-mail address and set up a password.3. As part of Twitter’s security process, you may be sent an email asking you to verify your account. Check your

email account for any messages from Twitter, and follow the instructions in order to verify your account.4. Twitter will then ask you to provide some interests and then based on those will make some suggestions of

accounts you may want to follow. You need to follow some accounts before proceeding – don’t worry, you can stop following these accounts later if you want to.

5. Give yourself a “handle”, a Twitter name unique just to you, starting with “@” e.g. @JohnSmith. Next, complete a short biography to tell people about yourself. Your biography can be up to 140 characters long, and should give a polite, positive account of yourself. Let people know if you’re hunting for work and what it is you can offer or what you’re good at.

6. Once this is completed, you are ready to start Tweeting!

Next, we will look at what Twitter is, how it works, and how to use it.

1. Completing Your Profile

Your profile on Twitter is very different to that of Facebook or LinkedIn. It is much shorter and simpler. It consists only of your user name, handle and a short biography. It also shows a list of all the Tweets you have sent. You can also add a profile picture and a cover photo to your profile, try to pick something friendly or professional and that shows you in a positive light. To set up your profile, click on your profile picture in the top right corner then select “settings” then click “profile” on the menu left hand side of the page. You can then type up your profile or “bio”.

2. Tweeting Basics

Twitter is a site where you can network and build contacts to help you find you find jobs and training opportunities, where companies recruit staff and provide information about themselves. You can also get up to date news and information, depending on who you follow.

Doc Ref: DSM-002 Version: 1. Approved: 24/11/14 Location: H:\NATIONAL CAREERS SERVICE\QUALITY REFERENCE MANUAL\Social Media\CfBT Twitter Guidance1 of 3

Twitter for Job HuntersProduced by CfBT in the South Central for National Careers Service Customers

March 2016

As many as 60% of employers in the UK also use Twitter to screen potential candidates, so it is important that your Twitter presence is professional and presents a positive image.

To Tweet a message to the people following you, either click the “Tweet” button in the top right hand side of your screen, or type your tweet in the bar at the top of the screen that asks the question “What’s happening?”

You will also receive Tweets from people you are following. You can click “reply” under any of these posts and respond. Interacting with others and having short conversations with other Twitter users is a great way of getting building your relationships and online contacts.

You can also “favourite” a Tweet to let someone know you’ve found it useful, entertaining or that you agree with it by clicking the star shape underneath the Tweet. It’s the same as “Liking” a post on Facebook. People can search a list of your favourite Tweets by visiting your profile.

To share a post amongst your followers, click the Retweet button:

4. Direct Messaging (DM)

You can send a private message to any of your followers by using direct messaging. In turn, people you follow can send a private message to you. This option can be accessed from the envelope symbol on the top left hand side of your profile.

6. Hashtags

Hashtags are a way of labelling a post with a certain subject, term or phrase. You place a hashtag in front of the word or phrase that you want to be labelled, for example, #jobs. Twitter tracks how often hashtags are used and

Doc Ref: DSM-002 Version: 1. Approved: 24/11/14 Location: H:\NATIONAL CAREERS SERVICE\QUALITY REFERENCE MANUAL\Social Media\CfBT Twitter Guidance2 of 3

Twitter for Job HuntersProduced by CfBT in the South Central for National Careers Service Customers

March 2016

presents this information for others to view. Popular hashtags and search terms are said to be “trending” and these will appear to the left hand side of your feed, as seen in the picture, above. The “#Discover” tab at the top of the page will display Tweets and hashtags that might interest you.

7. Privacy and Security on Twitter

Twitter is generally regarded as quite secure, as you are not required to provide any personal information when opening an account. However, your Tweets can be viewed by anyone, so care is needed when posting on the site.

Never disclose personal information such as date of birth, home location or personal contact details in your biography or in a Tweet, as this information can be seen publically. You should also not divulge any personal information through direct messaging.

Doc Ref: DSM-002 Version: 1. Approved: 24/11/14 Location: H:\NATIONAL CAREERS SERVICE\QUALITY REFERENCE MANUAL\Social Media\CfBT Twitter Guidance3 of 3