Why TwitterShouldHireMe.com is a bad idea

March 24, 7:56 AMEntry Level Careers ExaminerHeather Huhman

Previous Next

18 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Entry Level Careers Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

When I first heard about Jamie Varon’s Twitter Should Hire Me project, I was impressed and intrigued. The idea was certainly original, and she had a lot of publicity power behind it. However, after taking a step back and a second look, I’ve changed my mind—here’s why.

1. She’s pigeonholed herself. I always warn students and recent graduates about doing this one way or another—whether they limit the locations in which they can possibly live after graduation, the type of organization at which they would like to work, etc. Varon’s gone a step further and limited herself to a specific organization. She’s devoted her entire campaign to Twitter, leaving room for no one else. Pigeonholing your options after college—in any way—is always a bad idea.

Think about it. What she’s essentially done is written a single cover letter—to Twitter—and blasted it out to everyone. The power of having a blog or online portfolio is to market yourself to all potential employers, not just one.

2. She’s coming off desperate. Any time you appear desperate to hiring managers, as I believe Varon does on her site, they tend to look the other way and on to another candidate. Enthusiastic and passionate are great—being desperate is not. Some would say Varon knows what she wants and she’s going after it, but I disagree. Her, albeit original, idea is too begging and pleading to get serious attention from Twitter.

3. She’s stereotypical Generation Y. Many stereotypes exist about Generation Y, and Varon feeds right to them. Namely, she has a sense of entitlement. Even the site’s name shouts this—TwitterShouldHireMe.com. Now, we know cover letters and résumés aren’t about you, they are about the company. Had she thought about this she might have named her site BringTwitterToTheTop.com, or something like that—appeal to their needs instead of hers.

4. She’s unprofessional. I have to say, nothing says “hire me” like, “Hello. Hey. Hi. How’s it going? So, you want to know a little bit about me? Well, my name is Jamie Varon. I’m currently shackin’ up with my parents right now, since I am unemployed.” Enough said.

5. She’s controversial, and therefore a risk. In a controversial blog post about why she walked away from a job after only two weeks, she’s proven that she’s flighty and impulsive—not two redeeming qualities in an employee. I’ve also heard other rumors that make her controversial that I won’t mention here. Basically, a simple Google search would rule her out for most positions. (Granted, this point is specific to Varon and not the idea she brought to the table, but it’s still valid. Employers do perform online searches about candidates before inviting them to interview.)

6. It’s been done. The final reason you shouldn’t follow suit is that the idea—a poor one to begin with based on the points above—is no longer original. Varon “owns” it now, and anyone repeating it would look like a copycat.