A day might come when, rather than dusting off a resumé when looking for work, we would be better advised to clean up our Facebook profile. Staffing agency OfficeTeam recently released results of a survey that showed 43 per cent of human resources managers they polled thought it was somewhat or very likely that profiles on websites such as Facebook and LinkedIn will someday replace resumés for getting jobs.
Still, a modest majority of Canadian human resources professionals polled -- 55 per cent -- thought it was not very likely, or not likely at all, that social network profiles will completely replace resumés as job-seeking tools. Yet the poll is another 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.
Among the tips offered by OfficeTeam to most effectively use network profiles in finding work:
- Make sure you have a visible profile picture.
- As with a resumé, highlight your key skills and experience.
- Limit public access to pictures and other things that might not go over well with a prospective employer.
- Be thoughtful to who you're connected with, keeping in mind they might be contacted as references.
- Keep your online profile up-to-date.
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.
