What’s your resume’s social quotient?

 

If you are reading this post then I am sure you are not new to Social Media. Power of social media is immense and widespread. Not only it has turned an introvert to extrovert but also has redefined human connect. Today we don’t need a newspaper to share our story, we are self sufficient and are proud owner of our own brand. Yes, being social today has new way of personal image management.

When talking about our own brand, a resume is a close relative. Resume ideally helps us to establish a perspective in the interviewer’s mind even before our interaction starts. It has been a prevalent practice for ages to make an effective and impactful resume in order to qualify for that dream job. But now it’s time to accessories your two pager through social resume.

Social resume is nothing but all information related to you - widely available online. So it’s a wide terms which covers lot under one umbrella. Considering the social media usage and popularity most of the recruiters have started using the same as a talent acquisition tool. As it goes Internet has no delete button and it can help trace back all your social media activity, hence here are couple of tips which you should focus on lest you miss out on your golden goose.

1. Mostly social networking is a long term association or activity and unlike a job interview we can’t hide our true feelings here. But it’s very important not to leave any digital footprints which can be considered against you or can tarnish your social personality.
2. ‘It’s all in the Name’. Having a profile which can help recruiter relate to you instantly is a mandate or else no matter what you do socially it can’t be considered you ‘social resume’ for sure.
3. Blogging has changed the writer’s world. Gone are the days when publishing an article took months of follow up, but now spreading your thoughts is just a click away. And if you write what a recruiter considers relevant and is close to your expertise, then your dream job is just a call away.
4. ‘A Man is known by the company he keeps’. Your online network speaks a lot about you, so make sure whom you are adding to your friend list. Richer your network more valued is the profile.

Social media itself is a wide subject and has both pros and cons but using it for your own benefits it just in your hands. So for your next job hunt don’t forget SOCIAL!!

 

 

Six ways to nail that coveted job!!

It was usual day at work when I logged in my Linkedin account to find a message from an old classmate. He was looking for a of job change and wanted some advise around the same.I called him and discussed his concerns trying to suggest the best possible route I could think of. Being in Talent Acquisition for so many years now , I have done this of many friends and for some it worked while others were smart enough to make it happen their way.

 

I generally encounter questions regarding channels and turnaround time. My answer to this has always been ‘when patience pays, so what’s the hurry?”Honestly on personal levels most of my job changes were either through referrals or social media except of one case where I had applied on a job portal. But this is again very specific to my industry and might not work everywhere. However this has made me great advocate of Social Media which invariably is part of my job hunting strategies these days. Moreover it a best way to cut down lot of applicant traffic too.

So to begin with make sure that two pager brief introduction which is mostly referred as ‘Resume’ or should be updated enough to speak for your caliber and aptitude. It’s strange but I have come across many senior executives’ profiles who either have poorly written resumes or not at all. You might be leading 100 odd people but trust me that job posting would not even consider your application because the recruiter who might be filtering the profile didn’t find the right set of key words in place. Remember a job hunt is surviving the elimination and the first step is very crucial.

Media comes next after you are all set with that killer application. Well, after all you intend to kill other applications to reach the destination. Choice is yours if you want to start with job portal and try your luck. Mostly for junior to mid level and vanilla skills portals do the job well. Challenge is if you have been working in a niche field or have moved to roles which are not advertised very frequently and fewer in number.

Sometimes connecting with Head Hunters and Executive Search firms can be a good idea too. They have the specific industry understanding and would know the right opportunity for you. Also the mutual benefit drives them to make sure that it happens. LinkedIn has been a blessing in such scenarios. Not just you can find good jobs being posted from direct corporate HR’s but even connecting with head hunting firms has never been so easy. It’s a great market place when you are shopping for a job!!

You know yourself the best, more that any portal or consultant would do. Self research on the best possible opportunities by pursuing your target organizations either through internal employee referrals or direct applications might work as well. However as already discussed it’s a long drawn process in many cases and for some it just happens in record time. Job hunt is like cricket you might have to wait like Tendulkar to win the world cup or can be lucky to crack it in the first go itself.

Last but not least, when looking for job you should be ready to get the call anytime of the day and nobody will give you time to prepare for that first discussion. Try not to miss that and even if you do make sure you complete it later. Sometimes unknowingly we let go the best only to realize it very late. Also remember not to take a hasty decision for you never know what it would cost you later. 

Hope this helps you when next time you plan for a job change and till then enjoy your current assignment for it’s the work you do today which will fetch you job tomorrow.