Resuwitter: A Twitter Style Resumes Primer

Ever since it was released to the public in 2007, the internet world has been atwitter with talk about social networking and microblogging site Twitter. Originally developed by a San Francisco company as a means of inter-office communication, Twitter has since become one of the largest social networking sites on the web, boasting over two million members. Twitter enables its members to send status updates of 140 characters or less to their friends. The updates are viewable via instant message, text message or web interface. Many news outlets now use Twitter to send breaking news messages to Twitter members and even companies (including Whole Foods, Dell, Cisco Systems and Zappos) use Twitter to provide updates to clients. With the large corporate presence on Twitter, it was only a matter of time before someone created a Twitter style resume. A Twitter style resume is a resume of 140 characters or less which sums up your experience, objectives, contributions and/or education for use with potential employers that have a Twitter presence. Some bloggers are calling these concise resumes, "Resuwitters."

The benefits of Resuwitters

While some might view 140 character (remember that characters include punctuation and spaces) resumes as obstacles to grabbing a hiring manager's attention, Resuwitters actually provide many advantages over the traditional resume. Liberating the applicant from the boilerplate mentality imposed by standard resumes, Resuwitters also offer tremendous benefits to hiring managers.

1. A greater number of applicants can be reviewed for a position when submitted resumes are capped at 140 characters.
2. Resuwitters can get right to the point, concisely explaining why they are the right person for the job.
3. Resuwitters don't have to be formatted, printed and mailed.
4. The Resuwitter allows for reasonable creative license.
5. When used correctly, a Resuwitter can showcase your comfort level and familiarity with a field in a way that a long resume can not.

Creating your own Resuwitter

From rhyming to sales pitches, the options are endless for the Twitter style resume, but there are some points to remember.

1. Include relevant experience and/or education you posses that make you qualified for a position.
2. Don't treat your Resuwitter as a joke. You are still trying to interest an employer in you.
3. Try to outline an objective that lets potential employers know what you are looking for and what you can provide.
4. Spelling and grammar still count- maybe even more so!

Ultimately, the more resources a job seeker has at his or her disposable, the higher their chances for successfully obtaining employment. With nothing to lose, and everything to gain, ride the 140-character micro-wave and create your own Resuwitter today!