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How You Can Be as Awesome as Hillary Clinton’s Twitter Bio

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If you haven’t heard, Hillary Clinton finally activated her Twitter account this past Monday, and it’s a pretty big deal. There was much anticipation of the eventual arrival of Hillary Clinton on the social media site, and when she finally made an appearance, she definitely did not disappoint. From her witty bio to her comical first tweet, the former Secretary of State made her debut well worth the wait.

One would probably expect Hillary Clinton’s Twitter bio to be somewhat monotonous, but it was, thankfully, far from that:

It is a little hard to believe that Hillary Rodham Clinton would ever describe herself as a “hair icon” and “pantsuit aficionado,” making some people doubt the validity of the account, despite its verified status. However, her first followers restored our faith:  @HillaryClinton was soon followed by husband @BillClinton and daughter @ChelseaClinton. Not only was Clinton’s bio something to write home about, her first tweet was the icing on the cake:

Do You Know What You're Worth?

For those of you who are unfamiliar with @ASmith83 and @Sllambe, they are the co-creators of Texts From Hillary, a site dedicated to hilarious internet memes depicting Hillary Clinton presumably texting/tweeting with various politicians and celebrities. This just goes to show you that even the Secretary of State is willing to poke fun at herself while also connecting on a human level. So what can professionals learn from Hillary Clinton’s Twitter bio? Let’s take a look at a few key takeaways that can help you stand out in the crowd.

Be yourself. You only get 160 characters for a Twitter bio, so use each wisely. Your bio should capture who you are and how you want to be depicted. For job seekers, being authentic will get you farther in your career than if you try to make yourself out to be someone that you’re not. Employers want to see a candidate’s true self, not just his/her accomplishments and qualifications.

Don’t be afraid to use a little humor. Hillary Clinton hit the nail on the head with her Twitter bio. Her humor helps us (the audience) see another side of her that is very “human.” Similarly, candidates shouldn’t be afraid to add a bit of wit to their profiles, if it’s in good taste. Remember, humor is subjective, so be cautious when utilizing it in a professional context, because you want to steer clear of the possibility of insulting someone. Which brings me to my next point.

Don’t be insulting. Although Hillary makes a reference to the creators of Texts With Hillary, she is never offensive or rude. During a job search, recruiters will scour candidates’ social media profiles to see if there is anything that would discount a person from winning the job position. Therefore, it’s best to clean up and refrain from posting any insulting content that might put you out of the running.

Highlight strengths and accomplishments. In 160 characters or less, Clinton was able to capture her accomplishments both personally and professionally, while still having a few extra spaces for a teaser about her rumored 2016 presidential run, “TBD….” Professionals should highlight their credentials in bios, but veer away from sounding boastful or arrogant.

Know your audience. Clinton’s agenda is to be likeable now that it’s rumored that she may be running for president in 2016, so the decision to expose her more comical side was a great choice that spoke to her audience perfectly. Likewise, when job seekers are looking to win over recruiters or employers, know what they are looking for in a candidate and highlight those aspects.

Thank you, Madame Secretary of State, for the enlightening pearls of wisdom that will, hopefully, inspire other Twitter users to follow your lead and create content worth tweeting about!

Tell Us What You Think

Are you following @HillaryClinton on Twitter yet? Share your thoughts about the takeaways from Hillary Clinton’s bio on our Twitter or in the comments section below.

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(Photo Credit: @HillaryClinton/Twitter)

Leah Arnold-Smeets
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