Replacing Resumes With Social Media?

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When it comes to job hunting, technology continues to change the way we do things. The day of printing out our resumes continues to be reduced by electronically submitting them through various channels. Now, recent articles show that another major change in resume production may be just around the corner, for some career fields at least. Will social media performance replace the traditional resume? Some say yes.

 

“Out: resumes. In: tweets” is the opening comment in a recent article by USA Today writer Bruce Horovitz. Reports have it that some marketing companies are pushing past the typical resume path and focusing on a candidate’s tweets. The chief marketing officer at the tech company Enterasys Networks, who are in the process of hiring a six-figure senior social media strategist, boldly says, “The paper résumé is dead.” He refuses to even look at résumés, and continues, "The Web is your résumé. Social networks are your mass references."

 

Other factors include just how influential you are in the social media world. This is usually determined based on the candidates rankings from sites such as Klout and Kred. Without meeting a minimum required score on these networks, a candidate would not even qualify for some positions. Justin Flitter responds to this idea, saying, “I appreciate that it's good to start with base level measurement like Klout, Kred and Peerindex etc but listening with intent could help filter out the fakers and help you learn more about each candidate.” He goes on to provide a checklist of other considerations:

 

  • Influence and engagement rates - how many reactions does the person get per post?
  • Are they a thought leader sharing lots of resources and insights or a conversationalist or both i.e. What's their style online?
  • Are they engaged in conversations and topics relevant to your business/market/customer base. i.e. Are they naturally interested??
  • Could they get followers [people they know on and offline] to vouch for them or act as referees?
  • How clever are they at answering questions or finding resources to back up their opinions? How resourceful are they??
     

While this is something that only a select few companies in certain career fields are starting to employ, it could be the beginning of a new chapter in job finding. So, start now, and not only make sure your social media presence is professional and presentable for your job market, but begin seeking to be influential enough in your circles that you can drive up your scores. It may pay off in future job searches.

 

Image courtesy of Arztsamui  - Freedigitalphotos.net
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  • MICHAEL O
    MICHAEL O •
    Wait until the CMO of this company loses his job.  He'll quickly find out that he absolutely will need to have a good RESUME in order to get hired because almost every company eventually at some stage in the process requires a resume so they can put it in your human resources file once you are hired.
  • Kathy W
    Kathy W •
    Great filter for right person!
  • Arlene C
    Arlene C •
    Having worked with some companies that have big boy toys for sale including the gaming business social media is very useful in judging the job seekers credibility to be board room material; not cubicle zoombies.
  • Monica N
    Monica N •
    Nobody tells or educates you on the all the answer to all the question employers ask you either in applications or an interview.
  • Lorne W
    Lorne W •
    I am sorry to disagree with this concept. I think this is why most of the major corporate companies get such poor talent in the first place. People take their work experiences and try to make them show in a presentable way, in hopes that someone will actually read their resumes.  It seems like all these companies want any more to me is bodies. If they don't like them , then they will fire and rehire.  There's no benefits given for good workers any more. No incentive for people to even try to stand out more then the rest.  It seems like to me companies should go back to the days when they actually cared to get good people, that would stay with them and show the could stay for the long haul to retirement.  Stop screwing your people, and give them a reason to care, then you prosper in all areas.
  • Steven H
    Steven H •
    The CMO at Enterasys Networks is a complete idiot and has no business being in his position if he isn't intelligent enough to look a regular resumes.  I was told not to have a social media account by a man who is a long time job coach and former business owner because he said the company can ask you during an interview if you have a social media account and demand the password to look it over before they hire you.  He also said to tell them point blank that it is not of their business and if they insist that you don't need to work for their company.
  • Laszlo B
    Laszlo B •
    That the CMO of this marketing company believes he should only hire based on social media "look" (for that's how he could only pick the right person, the "perfect candidate") is one thing. People can and will fake social media if that becomes mainstream and the practice won't create more perfect matches (on the job) than before. Social media cannot be the right test for anyone's actual performance. He's going to discover it before long; I wouldn't pay for him doing this...
  • John B
    John B •
    The day a Tweet becomes more valuable than a resume is the day I lose all faith in professionalism and integrity in the workplace. Viewing an applicant's social media accounts prior to their hire is acceptable as a way to gauge their level of maturity or personality, for example, but to say you will not even look at a resume anymore seems ludicrous.
  • Kay G
    Kay G •
    I think this is ridiculous. How can I be myself if I think a prospective employer is reading my posts? Where can I go now to just be me?
  • Kevin D
    Kevin D •
    Sometimes I think that the push to make a personal impression on society, although necessary for innovation, leads us to explore down avenues which might not be the best.   Not the least of which is tying your personal life - which has an increasingly electronic virtual component - to your work life.    So that one time you got a little too merry at the company Christmas party doesn't fade away nearly as easily as it did before.   OR, your progress in your job is hindered by someone you don't "Like" or "poke" enough having their feelings hurt.
  • Paula B
    Paula B •
    Interesting and challenging as I am coming across many that are hesitant to use social media where I reside.

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