A survey of Canadian human resources professionals suggests the day might come when, rather than dusting off a resume when looking for work, we would be better advised to clean up our Facebook profile.
Staffing agency OfficeTeam released results of a survey last week that showed 43 per cent of the HR managers polled thought it was somewhat or very likely that profiles on such websites as Facebook and LinkedIn will someday replace resumes for getting jobs.
Still, a modest majority of those polled -55 per cent -thought it was not very likely, or not likely at all, that social network profiles will completely replace resumes as job-seeking tools.
The poll is a sign of how important one's social network presence -even on Facebook, seen more as a personal networking tool than the professionally oriented LinkedIn -can be to one's career.
"Don't ever think the traditional resume will go away," said Dianne Hunnam-Jones, OfficeTeam's district president in Toronto. "You still need a chronological account of who you are.
"But I think the message is that (social networks are) going to be more prevalent. So if you're thinking about your resume as your only job-search tool, think again, because social media is becoming another form."
Among the tips offered by OfficeTeam to most effectively use network profiles in finding work:
- Make sure you have a visible profile picture.
- Highlight your key skills and experience.
- Limit public access to pictures and other things that might not go over well with a prospective employer.
- Keep in mind the people you're connected with might be contacted as references.
- Keep your online profile up to date.
Even on social-networking sites that are believed to be secure for privacy, Hunnam-Jones warned that there's always the possibility that something leaks out.
"I think the reality of the world is that (privacy settings) don't matter; it's still out there, somebody will find parts of it somewhere," she said.
The data is based on a survey of 150 HR managers at firms in Canada with 20 or more employees. No margin of error was provided.
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