Can tweeting enhance your career in finance? Yes, if you’re Anthony Noto – the ex-Goldman Sachs technology banker who’s just joined Twitter as its new CFO.
Noto’s migration out of banking and into tech was undoubtedly assisted by his friendliness with Twitter’s current CEO, Dick Costolo, and with its co-founder, Evan Williams. At Goldman, Noto worked on Twitter’s IPO, which enriched Costolo and Williams to the tune of $1.2bn and $260m respectively. In recompense, Costolo and Williams are reportedly paying Noto $250k in salary, plus $64m in Twitter stock, with the option to buy a little more.
We suggest that Noto’s Twitter credentials were also burnished by the fact that – unusually for a banker – he is an active tweeter himself, and doesn’t use a pseudonym for his efforts. You can see Noto’s personal Twitter account here.
For someone who reportedly wants to bring Twitter to the masses in his new job, Noto’s not that successful- although he’s been tweeting since January 2011, he has a mere 3,146 followers, compared to the 13.1k garnered by anonymous M&A banker The Epicurean Dealmaker. Noto has also omitted to use Twitter’s new profile functionality, suggesting he’s not entirely with the programme.
However, Noto he does tweet. And if you want to use Twitter to further your finance career, this is what Noto’s Twitter account is telling you about how it’s done.
1. Tweet or retweet favourable things about potential clients
2. Personalize your tweets
3. Affirm your clients by retweeting their tweets
4. Shamelessly promote your friends
5. Ingratiate yourself with your current employer
6. Advertise your great work ethic
7. Express your life philosophy
8. Ingratiate yourself with journalists and influencers
9. Confirm that your most powerful clients are special people (see 1)
10. Use visual cues for a little light self-deprecation
