Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Gerrit Hall is the CEO and co-founder of RezScore, a free web application that reads, analyzes and grades resumes instantly. Gerrit has successfully combined his passion for computer science and the careers space by helping job seekers write the best resume possible. You can connect with Gerrit and RezScore on Facebook and Twitter.
Thanks to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and a slew of other social media platforms, job seekers are closer than ever to the decision-makers at their target companies.
While social media is wonderful as a stand-alone tool in any job seekers toolbox, you should know that its even better when combined with other old-fashioned standbys such as your resume.
SEE ALSO: How Businesses Use Social Media for Recruiting [INFOGRAPHIC]
The glory of a resume is that its completely fluid. A resume can be big, small, online, offline, video-recorded, illustrated, etc. No matter the format, your resume will only improve when combined with social media.
Follow these four tips to optimize your resume with social media.
Nowadays, 10.9% of resumes include a social media link, and the number continues to rise. The more transparent you make yourself to potential employers, the the more comfortable theyll be hiring you.
Include your Facebook, Twitter and especially LinkedIn profile URLs along the top of your resume, next to your name, email and phone number. Make sure the links are handy so the employer can quickly learn more about you, without having to do a lot of digging.
While sending your information out in a dozen different directions, its easy to overlook outdated information. Therefore, update constantly. An employer shouldnt see one thing on your resume and something different on LinkedIn.
Keep a list of all the social media and career sites on which have professional accounts or information. Once a month, check to make sure everything is up-to-date and matches your current resume.
Your resume is full of content that also works great for your social media profiles. Feel free to use information from your resume for social network sections like work experience, about me, etc.
However, remember to share carefully selected content. Dont just copy/paste your entire resume into your about me section. Not only will this flood your profile, but your resumes formatting probably wont travel well either.
Instead of copy/pasting, select a handful of solid phrases or anecdotes for your social profile. That way, youll guarantee that anyone reading your profile will get the most important information.
Beyond your experience, skills and goals, remember that keywords are king. The unfortunate truth about todays job search is that potential employers use Google and almighty Applicant Tracking Systems to peruse social media sites for the best candidates.
To stay on top of current industry jargon, study similar job listings for words that pop up frequently. Additionally, a variety of powerful SEO tools, which already exist for marketers, can easily be re-purposed to optimize your resume for search.
What do you think? What other tips should social media-savvy job seekers keep in mind when optimizing their resumes for social media? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, SchulteProductions
More About: contributor, Facebook, features, job search, linkedin, resumes, Social Media, TwitterFor more Business coverage:Follow Mashable Business on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Business channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad
