Social Media Mentions Absent From CVs

As brands steadily move into social media and online PR Facebook and Twitter et al are no longer dirty words in the office.

But it's applicants who are missing a trick. A random CV sample by digital recruitment firm Major Players has found that social media mentions are missing in the majority of applications.

The survey sampled 4,500 CVs over the last two years. Only 6% referenced social media, 9% mentioned Twitter, a tiny 2% talked about blogging and only 13% included Facebook (often only highlighted in the interests section).

A lack of applicant awareness crosses over to search marketing too. Employers increasingly see it as an important part of their PR and digital marketing arsenal but applicants are failing to mention it at the crucial stage. Such is the shortfall that only 4.7% of CVs even include the term SEO. Considering that CVs are usually stored in databases to be scanned by bots including key terms is essential to getting your CV picked up by rushed recruiters.

Lorraine Barker, Head of PR at Major Players thinks that candidates:

"need to recognise the importance of social media and how potential employers will increasingly require a clear level of understanding in this area. In the last couple of years there’s been a definite shift in the way PR and marketing professionals enable brands to reach their audiences, and our clients demand talent that understand this. Putting a LinkedIn or Twitter address, or even personal blog details, on a CV will show employers that candidates are engaging in social media in some way".

When it comes to graduate applications social media marketing tools aren’t necessarily taught in classrooms. Twitter trending or exploring buzz marketing practises may be just beyond the realm of your average straight-out-of-uni applicant who's used to updating their facebook status or uploading last night's photos.

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If all else fails, make a t-shirt like the girl above.

Picture courtesy of SocialisBetter. Some rights reserved.