Platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn allow you to gather and share information at the touch of a button, although verification during the former and professionalism during the latter are key. Your presence in these global communication arenas is fundamental to your work.

Twitter

Whether we like new chief Elon Musk and the direction he is driving the 238m user platform or not, Twitter has a real-time choke hold on news that would prove difficult to shake and even more difficult to replace.

Some of the world’s most important stories begin with and are taken from Twitter and it is more and more used to deliver information to non-typical news readers and viewers.

The hashtag ‘#BREAKING’ has in some way become the new 9pm TV news bulletin with the world’s, and Ireland’s journalists using it, emojis, photos, videos and bullet points to communicate their news in real time.

In news, we work to hit the reader between the eyes with what they need to know and with only 280 Twitter characters to work with, this is more of an essential skill than any other.

But that’s perhaps the advantage of the platform. As professionals, we should all strive to be clear and concise in our communication.

Twitter is also political and often highly charged with emotional viewpoints. There’s nothing wrong with sharing your views but if you use the platform on a professional basis, you should keep in mind that employers, colleagues, clients, and customers may all be watching.

LinkedIn

While many of us may cringe at the thoughts of showing off our professional achievements on the internet, in a world of recruitment via platforms like LinkedIn, there’s only one way of looking at it – it has to be done.

Some people attend to their LinkedIn profile only when they’re looking for a job, and while it will probably provide you with the most value then, this shouldn’t be the case.

You never know who is watching or seeking new talent and therefore, if you have an account, make sure to keep it updated at all times with your current and former roles, education and achievement.

Out of all social media platforms, LinkedIn is a place for ‘less is more’ and total professionalism. If you’re someone who likes to post about social events and the ins and outs of daily life, it probably isn’t for you.