Importance of Social Media for Your Resume
I’m slowly learning being in the digital marketing industry, especially social media it is more important how your social profiles and website look rather than your traditional resume. Employers are more often than not using social media networks to find the right candidate, rather than going through resumes. Although it is important to maintain a proper resume, it is becoming even more important if not already as to how you conduct yourself on LinkedIn, Twitter and more recently Instagram.
LinkedIn is your professional tool that shows employers and connections that you mean business. Your profile is basically a digital resume showcasing your past jobs, responsibilities and how many people have recommended you on your skills. If you are seriously looking for a job keeping a polished LinkedIn page is your best bet at getting noticed and taken seriously. Not only does LinkedIn have millions of members which translates into millions of possibilities for connections, your profile also shows up in Google searches. When someone Google’s your name you want to ensure your professional profile comes up polished and well-kept and not an embarrassing Facebook photo, Google likes that.
In the social media community management world, employers often want you to submit your Twitter handle. This allows them to see your thoughts, what brands you follow and care about, and how your content writing skills look in 140 characters or less. If you’ve become an emotional “tweeter” may I suggest not doing this and use your Twitter account to start conversations with brands or reach out to social influencers in your space to show that you are in the know.
With the viral popularity of Instagram, employers may look at your account to see who you are as a person. The saying goes “pictures or it didn’t happen”. Instagram let’s employers briefly see into your life, what activities you participate in and how you see the world. Corporate culture and how you fit into a company is becoming more important than whether you have the right skills. If you are serious about making it in the social media industry, you better be on Instagram and you better know how to use the right filters.
The best advice I can give for people looking to dive into a social media career are;
1) Clean Up Your Social Profiles
Facebook photo albums of parties when you were 18 were fun but it’s a blast from the past that can be kept private.
2) Care About Who You Are Connecting With
Follow and engage with brands and companies you care about. Creating a personal community you are proud of will show potential employers you know how to manage their communities.
3) Create a Website, Landing Page, or Online Profile
Yes the profiles you manage live online and are available for anyone to see, but when employers are looking for the perfect candidate pulling the best stats from a profile or campaign you worked on will make their job a lot easier.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: Using Your Social Media Profiles as a Resume Boost
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