As a candidate, your résumé should reflect your skills, experience, passion, and creativity. With a limited number of jobs available and social networking sites galore, your résumé may benefit from including links to your social networking accounts. But where do you draw the line? What’s the difference between a relevant site and a “friends-only” network? Including networking links on your résumé can help you land the job – but if you’re not careful it can also kill your shot at the opportunity.
Email: Of course, including an email address is essential for basic contact. This may be obvious, but keep it professional. Don’t include your personal, Luv2party25@asdf.com account. Creating a specific email address for professional use (such as firstname.lastname@example.com) will improve your image and help you organize your messages and contacts. Using gmail, you can even sign in to multiple accounts at once (a great new feature), making it that much easier to separate the accounts.
Facebook: Before you link to your Facebook profile, think about your photos. Do they show drugs/alcohol, scandalous outfits, or questionable situations? If so, definitely do not include a link to the account. Also – consider the content. Would you want a recruiter to view the wall posts from your friends? What about the groups you’re a part of and the pages that you “like”? There are generally ways to get around the privacy restrictions that you set (especially with photos) so be extra-cautious when it comes to Facebook and don’t take any risks.
YouTube: What types of videos do you have? Are they funny, family, school, or work-related? YouTube is typically not appropriate or expected to be included on a résumé, as few people use it for more than entertainment. Including a link to your YouTube channel is more appropriate if you’re applying for a filmmaking, production, or creative job, as a way to showcase your skills. If you have any hesitations, your best bet is to simply leave it off.
Twitter: You can say a lot in 140 characters, so make sure you stay true to your personal brand (yes, you have a personal brand!) and keep it classy. Instead of talking about your “crazy weekend” or what you ate for breakfast, be industry-specific and career-related. Connect with professionals in place of friends, and have a message (beyond “hire me”). This message is who you are and what you do – so choose wisely. Put your (appropriately named) Twitter handle on your résumé if it’s professional (as described above) and updated regularly. Frequent “tweeters” look down on those who don’t update on a regular basis and reply in a timely manner, so stay active and relevant – making sure to build connections.
Personal Website: Including a personal website on your résumé can be incredibly useful for a potential employer. If your website includes a portfolio it can give them a preview of what you’re capable of and the level of work to expect from you. Furthermore, it demonstrates your level of comfort with technology and passion for the industry – qualities that can only help you! It is a good idea to include the link if the site is kept up to date, if it’s visually appealing & easy to navigate, and if it’s not offensive. Examples of sites not to include would be opinionated blogs, sites containing inappropriate content, and outdated websites. It’s always a good idea to purchase your own domain (www.FirstnameLastname.com). You can do this through a variety of services, such as BlueHost, Go Daddy, InMotion, and many more.
Be smart and keep it professional! Networking can help you land a job and show off your tech-savvy skills when you use it right. When in doubt, play it safe.
Remember: Never include a link that you wouldn’t want your grandma to see.
