Is No Social Media Presence a Problem for Your Job Search?
I often hear from my clients, busy professionals, that they do not have time for social media. The thought of spending their precious time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or even LinkedIn seems overwhelming. If it is a matter of reading posts and commenting versus getting a good night's sleep, I know what most of these job seekers would pick.
That is why I reached out to many of my connections who are professional recruiters and posed this question in a Recruiter's forum:
Does it matter to you if a candidate does not have a social media presence (excluding jobs where social media is the focus of the role)?
For some, having a LinkedIn profile that is up-to-date is important.
Sandra Kahmholtz, Senior Recruiter at NRI Staffing, likens not having a LinkedIn profile to walking outside without your shoes.
"When I speak with a potential applicant, my first question to them is do they have a "LinkedIn" account. If they do, I ask if we can connect during the phone interview. The reason I do this is to learn more about the candidate and also to determine if their resume matches their "LinkedIn" account. If it doesn't or they haven't updated their profile in some time, I suggest they immediately update it before sending additional resumes out. I explain that having an "incomplete" social media account that is not up to date, is essentially walking out the door without your blazer or wearing your dress shoes. Your "LinkedIn" account is a reflection of your professional profile and it should represent accurate dates, and be current."
John DePolo, Managing Partner at Cornell Strategy Solutions, feels having a presence on LinkedIn is helpful to be found by recruiters.
"I think it's a good idea to be present on LinkedIn. If so, why? These days, recruiters of all types are looking for candidates of all varieties and performing LinkedIn searches. In my Microsoft role, none of the candidates I reached out to had applied online, and I find that outreach is better across all disciplines."
For some, it is a check as to whether the person is real.
Lara Lawson, a Recruiter, says that in her area of specialty, remote developers and architects, there can be people that are outsourcing using a social security number. With a social media profile, she can match the name to a real person.
But Elly Cohen, a third-party Recruiter, summed up a lot of the feedback around what agency and independent recruiters think.
"IF it's ONLY a cursory LI profile without more, it would not harm a candidate unless more engagement, etc was expected of the role. And it would possibly even be suspicious if there was (a) huge engagement for very select niches."
And Ed Han, an in-house recruiter, pointed out that time is of the essence when hiring. He may do a quick Google search to see if there is anything concerning about the person on the internet, but he does not do an exhaustive search, and even then, he does not do it 100% of the time.
So many of you might be thinking, well, maybe I just update my LinkedIn profile and call it a day. That would be easy and a time saver. Well, Elly Cohen added more to this, and I think you should heed her advice.
"THAT SAID, is a job seeker missing out on the opportunity to generate interview activity by using LinkedIn more actively - even if through connecting but not posting? In many but not all cases, yes".
If time is of the essence, with many competing responsibilities and need for your time and attention, here is my suggestion for how to use social media.
Fully complete your LinkedIn profile
A fully completed LinkedIn profile is one of the best ways for a recruiter to find you. This will mean having contact information updated and readily available, such as putting it in your About section. Get a decent profile picture, one that is well lighted and professional. Optimize your headline. That means removing the default "title at company" and adding the title(s) you desire with keywords for your role and industry. Fill out your Experience section thoroughly, with information about accomplishments at each of your jobs. In the Skills section, add all the relevant skills for your profession. Fully use the 50 available slots to showcase them.
Get Social Proof Through Recommendations
Recommendations help people to understand who you are and what you have accomplished. Having many recommendations is helpful to alleviate the fear that what you say you can do is true. The most valuable recommendations will come from past supervisors but do not forget peers, subordinates, suppliers, or clients. If you do not have recommendations, start asking people you know to write one. You can even suggest topics, such as examples of when you demonstrated specific skills or how you accomplished something challenging. LinkedIn has a spot for recommendations. Use it.
Make It a Point to Comment on the Post of Others
Do you want to get more known in your profession or industry? Comment on the posts of people that are key players or work in your target companies. If you make it a point to provide a thoughtful comment (no, "I like your post"), you will get noticed. This does not have to be time-consuming. Ten minutes a day, two to three times a week is doable and can help jumpstart your networking.
So if you do not want to have a social media presence and just want to apply online, your lack of social media presence will probably not be held against you. Remember, though, that a lack of social media presence will make it harder for people to find you. If you are not comfortable with social media or just do not have the time, I would suggest making sure that you have an updated, keyword-rich profile on LinkedIn. That way, should someone be looking for your particular skill set, you can still be found.
Shelley Piedmont is a job search coach. She wants to help job seekers put their best foot forward by providing the tools for a successful job search. If you need career coaching, resume preparation, interview skills assessment, or LinkedIn profile assistance, she can help. Schedule a 15-minute no-obligation consultation.