Your Online Presence is Part of Your Resume


Before the internet, employers had to rely on a single sheet of paper, a carefully crafted resume to learn about you and judge your past experience before making a hiring decision. Today, the countless social media platforms, sharing networks, and the google search engine puts everything about you, anything you have ever posted or been linked to, and all your content online for employers to see. The control that people once had over their resumes and what employers saw was instantly lost with the internet as What Color is Your Parachute reveals 91% of U.S. employers look at job applicants’ social profiles and use the information in their final decisions. Job applicants can be rejected due to unprofessional or inappropriate content, questionable views or signs of prejudice, negative posts about previous employers, or contradicting information to their resume.



However, the new google resume can also be an asset that sets you apart from other job applicants and actually helps you get the job. An employer can offer someone a job because they liked their profile, their professionalism, creative expression, community involvement, past experiences, or overall impression. To take advantage of this new tool, job applicants should edit, fill in, expand, and add to their online presence to communicate the desired message to employers. People should go through their online presence and delete any unfavorable content, make sure their profiles are thorough and up-to-date, expand their presence by joining groups that they are associated with or relate to their interests, and make sure to add their volunteer and educational experiences, their skills, and the organizations that they are a part of. Curating and developing an impressive online presence can make a positive impression on employers and give you an extra boost when applying for jobs.

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