Instead of obsessing over your resume, spend more time focusing on your digital footprint!
How many hours have you obsessed over crafting and re-editing your resume? Do you really think that this one document is going to land you that dream job? Think again.
Resume Stats You Should Know
- 6 seconds is all your resume gets
- 50% of candidates are viewed as “not-qualified” according to recruiters.
- Referred candidates twice as likely to land an interview than other applicants.
False Advertising?
According to a SHRM study, 78% of resumes and applications are misleading. If you were looking at an advertisement for a car, a house, or any other large ticket item and you sensed the ad was misleading, what would you do? Exactly. And that is what employers are doing too.
If the resume was so important, then why are 94% of recruiters, HR and hiring managers turning to social networks to scope out candidates? Maybe it is because the resume stinks. It doesn’t give them the chance to learn very much about you. And the thought of hauling you in for an interview to see if you are the real deal seems like a costly investment if there are other solutions. Apparently, it is also because they don’t trust the information on the resume. And finally, because they can because there is information about you online- free and easily accessible.
Your Digital Footprint
78% of recruiters have hired from social media!
There are hundreds of stories about companies hiring through Twitter…did you hear about the company called Enterasys who hired a marketing executive based on his tweets.
So in March, I decided to abandon the traditional recruitment process for a new position in our marketing department. This wasn’t just any position in marketing. I was looking to hire a six-figure salary, director level marketer responsible for digital and social marketing direction for our company. I did not accept any resumes and I only interacted with the candidates via Twitter.
-Vala Afshar, Enterasys
Create Digital Terrain
LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook offer a peek at what you are saying, thinking and doing. If you are smart, you’ll share information on social media that helps people understand what you know about! How?
- Create an awesome LinkedIn profile (here’s how)
- Showcase samples of work in your LinkedIn profile (here’s how)
- Engage in group discussions, don’t just lurk! (here’s how)
- What should you avoid? What turns off recruiters (see the top things here)
- Jump on Twitter (learn how here)
- And clean up and lock down Facebook updates (here’s how)
Want to see what job search steps you should be working on instead of obsessing over your resume?
Check out 6 Things Every New Job Seeker Should Know
Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.
