When you’re searching for a job, keeping your resume updated and polished is a top priority. This week, we’re discussing a question that’s been a concern for many people in the current market: Should you include your social media links on your resume?
The answer is that yes, you should add that information – with only a few minor exceptions. Why? When you provide potential employers with the information to find your social profiles online, you promote yourself as a more competitive candidate. Resumes are formal documents that provide only a snapshot of your qualifications. If a recruiter or hiring manager is interested, social media links make it easier to visit your sites and learn more about your soft skills.
A well-maintained social profile conveys your online savvy, and a willingness to network and participate in communities. If you have examples of your work online, this has the potential to also impress a potential employer before you even head into an interview. But here’s the exception: If you’re not keeping your online social profiles up to date, polished and professional, then you’re better off leaving this information off your resume.
While you’re making the decision, you should consider that many hiring managers and recruiters are already searching out candidates online. It’s no longer safe to assume that if you don’t share the information, an employer won’t find it anyway. Adding your social media links to your resume only simplifies the process, and could present you as a more transparent, open candidate to employers.
That’s why we think the best practice for job seekers is to keep your social networks professional, and share your profile links as part of your updated resume. This practice is becoming increasingly popular among new candidates and socially savvy professionals.
To help you get started, here are a few basic tips for adding information about your social media profiles to a resume:
1) Put the social media links you’re including in the header of the document. You’ll want to add the URLs alongside your name, email and phone number. (Linkedin Tip: Shorten the URL on your Linkedin profile for a cleaner resume by clicking the “Profile” tab to “View Your Profile.” Use the edit button on your “Public Profile” to shorten and personalize the URL. This will make you more searchable, as well.)
2) Only include social media links to profiles that you’re using professionally. Linkedin is the first, and best choice for most people. Tech professionals will also benefit from maintaining a presence on GitHub and should link to examples of their work. Link to Facebook only if your page is kept professional, and Twitter if you’re in the habit of keeping it up to date with industry relevant Tweets and Re-Tweets.
3) Fact-Check yourself. You should be reviewing your resume on a monthly basis. Watch for outdated information. Also be sure that your resume and social media accounts are in agreement and match to compliment one another.
4) Carefully share selected content. Don’t just copy and paste, so that your resume and social profiles are exactly the same. You want each one carefully crafted to convey the most important information at each step in the process. Resumes should be concise and formal. Social media sites can be more lengthy and conversational. Think of your social profile as an opportunity to tell an already interested potential employer more of your story in a compelling way.
Finally, just because we’re all getting to be more social in our professional lives doesn’t mean the basic rules have completely relaxed. For example, you still don’t want to include your photo on a resume. For a list of additional 5 Things You Should Never Put On Your Resume read this article. And if you’re not sure whether or not your resume needs an update at all, check out the Top 10 Signs Your Resume Needs Updating.
Once you’ve got your resume updated and ready to go, send it to us at Market Street Talent! We also want to let you know that you can find our social profiles on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter to learn more about us and connect at any time!