It’s common knowledge that when you are applying for a job that you follow through with the asked requirements.
Sending a resume is usually a part of this process, and this is a social standard, however, I am a walking example of how formal resumes don’t always get you the job. You’d be surprised to learn how many people are getting employed via social media.
What’s The Secret?
In “Branding Your Passion”, I discussed the need to be social, and produce a solid social profile for yourself. What we didn’t perhaps stress is that corporations are also going to be interested in your ability to use social media—it says a lot about you.
Are you the type of employee to post work updates and start formulating cool new hashtags? Do you like pictures on the company Instagram account? Or is your potential co-worker going to bear a ghost profile, with little followers and even fewer updates? Some companies care to know how social you are, and if you aren’t socially savvy then you may not speak to them.
One of the first questions I was asked by a fine Vancouver establishment in an interview was, “can you show me your Instagram profile?” She closed the interview by asking me, “do you use Snapchat?” She told me, she asks everyone this and thinks it is so important for brands to be using Snapchat. Before we left the interview, I took a Snapchat and posted it online as a creative way of saying thank you.
In discussing the need to be social when on the job hunt, I might have started off to say that I was so lucky that one admired Linkedin article got me a job, but it wasn’t just one. It became a trend to get work without a formal application. A lot of people were asking for work without asking me to fill out an application or even attend a job interview!
My self-promotion of my skills abled me to get me numerous contracts and work opportunities.
I write about a lot of things, but Astrology writing is a passion of mine. Through several Elite Daily articles published and Horoscope updates on my blog, and twitter, I was able to land a regular, monthly horoscope gig, which optioned for even future content potential.
I was able to build assurance from individuals who believed in me and went to bat for me in landing even more jobs. It truly appeared like my social network was benefiting me far more than the formal applications.
Social media is the new resume because if you use social media right--if you use it to exercise your talents and showcase what you can do it will reap something. Eventually if you do it right, someone is going to show interest in you, especially if you've got something to offer.
With that being said, you’ve also got to have the talent, but assuming that you do, strong social media and building a strong, social network are your two keys to success. Don’t be afraid to demonstrate your skills, show people what you know, what you think or what you can do. Some of the most successful people in this world are those who have grabbed our attention by being obnoxious and forcing us to listen to them. When you have a voice that meant to be heard, you have to fight to make it happen. When you have a passion for something that is so strong, you don’t care what other people think, you just want to express how you feel about it in an open capacity. Social media gives you a platform to showcase your skills and address these concerns, but it also helps to establish your personal profile.
We are living in a technology-heavy, virtual-driven world, which puts the power online. More and more recruiters are looking for that level of innovation. Resumes that look like infographics, skill-testing obstacles, and trial periods. It’s not so simple as going on one interview and waiting to hear back. There are rounds, and in many cases, a lot of people to meet before you get approved.
A company may want a phone interview with you, but then you may never hear from them again. Making it past round one of the interviews doesn’t mean you got the job. Chances are you will be interviewed more than once and will be asked to do a skill-testing task before you are considered, not to mention, not before your references are checked.
Social media does simplify the process, in that your skills are out in the open. You are your own market and people can make the free decision to form a working alliance with you.
