How to Tweet Yourself to an Internship

 “You’ll get 10 tweets using the hashtag #Barkleymentorship. One tweet should link to a video application (no longer than 3 minutes). The other tweets can be anything that tells us something about you. Maybe it’s your LinkedIn or Facebook page. Maybe you have an awesome blog you want to share with us. Or you could just want us to see a few of your all-time favorite sites. Use your creativity. Just note that anything linking to any sort of inappropriate content will automatically disqualify you. We’ll be taking your tweets through February 17th.” - Barkley

Companies such as Barkley and Campbell Mithun are among those utilizing social media to weed through internship applicants. Many people would begin to get overwhelmed with the limitations to what they can do and say; Twitter only allows 140 characters to a post. How is someone to fully market or brand themselves to who they are and what they can offer? What kind of tweets are they looking for? What kind of information would be best? These were the same thoughts and questions I had when applying for the Barkley’s mentorship program. Here are six tips that helped me and kept me focused to better my chances to be recognized above the other applicants and minimize the stress during this social media application process.

1.       Know your audience. Research, research and research. Knowing the company inside out will allow this process to be easier. Search for current and past projects and be able to discuss them in detail. Find key employees to contact and build a connection with. Past interns would be a great source. They’ve already gone through the process and the actual internship so they can provide insight what others may not receive. But most importantly understand the requirements to the position. Take the job posting and mark it up, make notes. Take each requirement and list how you fulfill it.

2.       Follow directions. Companies outline directions for a reason: to see how well you follow them. They are looking for someone that can take directions and succeed.

3.       Think strategically. This is where the research about your audience comes in handy. Knowing the company’s attitude, you will know what they are looking for in their interns. Do they want someone that is creative? Enthusiastic? Detailed-oriented? Let them know that! Strategically create the tweets to show those characteristics. Do not be shy. Take the chance and be interactive with those key employees. They may have a vote to whom gets picked. Plus, co-workers talk. The limit of ten tweets has now become unlimited. 

4.       Plan accordingly. For most college students, they immediately go into internship mode as winter break comes to an end.  Students across the world are beginning their endeavors of finding the perfect internship, late nights researching companies, résumé and cover letter perfecting, and portfolio building. There is an understanding to apply for as many internships possible so that the individual has a choice if offered multiple positions. But if not planned accordingly, it is easy to forget or mix deadlines. School work, work and personal time should also be considered in this step.

5.       Be competitive. You need to go into the application in the mindset of ‘to win.’ Look at other applicant’s tweets and see what information they are presenting. If there is a general topic used in tweets, figure out how to make your tweet better than the others. The goal of any application process is to get the position desired. Do whatever you can to make yourself look better than the other applicants. If you follow the tips in order, this tip should be easy. You already know what the company is expecting and have a plan that is strategically placed.

6.       Be yourself. Plain and simple. Companies are looking the tweets that show the personality of the applicant. If you are funny, show humor. If you are creative, show your creativity. If you are willing to be yourself by letting your guard down, employers will be more likely to connect with you. 

That concludes the tips that I personally reminded myself while tweeting for Barkley’s mentorship. You may have additional tips to add, but these tips will be different for each individual. Keep in mind to treat the application process like a job. Always be professional and be aware what is being posted on your personal social media sites. Good luck and happy #tweeting!