On a professional level, the way we get hired changes on the daily and technology inevitably plays a role. In a work landscape saturated with the “next-best” tool we can’t live without, it’s up to us to get noticed. Organizations know that to keep pace or even inch ahead in the race for talent, their tech stack needs to stack up. And they are rapidly deploying new tools to find and secure talent from every corner of the world. Don’t get mired down in a game of “Where’s Waldo” – ensure your digital footprint is found during the continued digital age of hiring. Here’s how:
1. Expand and polish your social media platforms to highlight your personal brand beyond LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a given and we touched on that a few blogs back on how to create an impressive LinkedIn profile that recruiters and hiring managers will look at twice. But while LinkedIn is still the go-to source for talent search on social, having a professional presence on other sources can help round out your online persona.
Take Instagram for instance.
It might not be the platform where you list all your job skills, but posting about your hobbies, interests and personal accomplishments highlights YOU, and translates into the type of candidate someone may be looking for. For example, if you have:
- restored an old car, you might be resourceful
- trained for and completed a marathon, you could be viewed as persistent and dedicated
- baked an awesome birthday cake for your 6-year-old’s party, you might have highlighted your creativity
Recruiters and hiring managers can learn a lot on your platforms (and will learn a lot because they are checking). In fact, surveys show 90% of potential employers consider an applicant’s social media (and sometimes they find something that hampers your chances of being hired, so be mindful of that, too).
Twitter, of course, is still a resource for recruiters and some will even strike up a conversation. Facebook has dabbled in the jobs section and there are Groups you can join based on your profession or interests that sourcers will review for candidates. Even on social apps that we think are off the beaten path for job-hunting, depending on your industry of choice, future employers may be looking there.
For example, just announced as a pilot for this July, some well-known companies have signed up to use TikTok to discover talent submitting applications through the new TikTok video resume tool. While it’s useful for very targeted markets and industry sectors, it’s worth looking into. After all, if you are a highly-skilled production editor who wants to get noticed, showcase your abilities to a media company, or a recruiter who may be looking there. This feature is for a limited time now, but might be a foreshadow of future tools to come. And evidence that there’s always something new to watch out for.
2. Join Niche Networks and Groups Online
We can easily rattle off the social networks that are globally known, but there are plenty of specialized databases and online groups geared towards specific professions as well.
Freelancer collectives, developer networks like GitHub, and professional affiliation directories are targeted online databases that create diverse sourcing channels for talent. New grads in particular have resources, too, with being listed on alumni forums, student group directories and more.
Research what may apply to you and your background, and ensure that you can be found, as recruiters will often search for candidates in these niche locations.
3. Google Yourself
Have you googled yourself before? It can be eye-opening! The more you are out there on the Internet, the more info is collected about you and subsequently available to pop-up in a search by potential future employers. Confirm the data about you is accurate. There are directories with addresses, records and more that are often benign, but every once in a rare while there could be a mix-up with you and someone else. Take a moment to scroll through and contact providers to correct misinformation.
4. Keep your online resume up-to-date – everywhere you have uploaded it!
Often when applying for a job, you are required to “Apply Here” through a job portal, thus creating an account with a username and password, and uploading your resume to the technology that has been chosen (usually an ATS software that is screening the content). Now that digital version of your resume sits in the database. Do you keep a running list of where and with whom you have applied? How about when you have applied through aggregate job board sites where employers and recruiters care searching?
It’s important to keep a record and update accounts where your resume sits periodically, especially as it pertains to skill keywords that match new job descriptions. It also helps to avoid duplicates in these screening systems on the chance that you create a new account when a new job opening appears at a later time. Your resume could be pulled up at a later date as well, given that there are regulations for companies requiring them to hold onto resumes and applications for certain lengths of time.
Managing your Digital Footprint is an on-going process
Even though you may be in a position of comfort at your current job, it’s still good practice to review and refresh your digital footprint on a regular basis. Especially for consultants, keeping your online persona and digital work background up to date is a must, based on the contractual nature of your engagements. You never know what hot new tech tool is on the horizon to source good talent and you want to make sure you are found.
At Matlen Silver, our recruiters are experts at finding and securing talent and working with consultants to optimize their chances of getting noticed by potential employers. Contact us today to discuss new ideas on elevating your online game.
