Does Your Twitter Handle Belong in Your Resume?

In the day and age of social media, emails and personal websites, our world is gradually becoming paperless. One *exception to this paperless world is your resume/ CV (*even resumes/CVs are becoming paperless, but most employers will prefer a hard copy for the final interview or will print off your “paperless” version onto paper during the application process).

But is the bridge between online and on-paper one that should be built? Or rather, does your social media contact information belong on your resume/ CV?

In my opinion, yes. I put my twitter handle in my resume. Where you decide to put your social media information is personal preference, but I decided to make my twitter handle very noticeable and included an entire section under “skills” where I include which social networks in which I am active.

I also have my blog (the one you are reading right now!) listed under relevant experience/ projects. However, I only suggest you include blogs in your resume that you regularly write for or that have received some sort of recognition.

Putting your social media contact information on your resume not only let’s the employer reviewing your resume/ CV that you’re tuned in to using social media, but that you have nothing to hide. Let’s face it, they’re going to google you regardless if you put your twitter handle on your resume/ CV or not. Why not beat them to the punch and say, “Here I am and this is why you want me to work for you” (this is also made under the assumption that your social media identity is kept clean/ professional. I think this is a safe assumption to make for most PR pre-pros). Showing employers that you have nothing to hide, but instead are actually borderline showing-off your social media identity not only shows candidness and professionalism, but confidence in who you are as a pre-pro and your willingness to make life easy for him or her.

As a result, your social media identity tells them even more about you:

• Personality type
• Personal brand
• Interests/ Hobbies
• Aspirations
• Skills (especially writing and using technology)

This type of information is especially helpful to your employer when applying for jobs that are out of state or area. It lets him or her get a sense of who you are and whether or not you would be a good fit for the company. It provides the employer a sneak peak to your feature film.

Some employers even place high-importance on the use of social media contact information. Here’s what some of the pros said:

Worob It’s the first thing I look for when reading resumes.

thescottbishop If you have an active and valuable twitter brand…add it to your resume (but be aware of what you tweet).

prtini Absolutely a good idea if you’re applying for PR/SM jobs. Shows you are involved online. Important for

employers to know.

sjhalestorm Fits very well into contact info. – gives feeling that you are involved, not hiding. Give potential employers all the opps you can to stalk you by including Twitter handle (+ others) – then impress them.

Additional Resources

Report today in the UK mentions use of Twitter handle / LinkedIn details on your CV

Careerealism’s Resume: 20 Down and Dirty on What to Include

Brand Republic: Social Media talent vacuum in PR and Marketing

(Special thanks to @kionsanders @bitty_boop @Lmnovo @patrickbjohnson @aaronwolowiec @AdamVincenzini @dfriedman16 @TBlinkedin @lisaatufunwa @PattyBaragar @EstrellaBella10 @AlexiaHarris @han_ma @ Worob @thescottbishop @PRtini @sjhalestorm)

Will your grades land the job?

Many college students have just finished exam week: a time of year where sleepless nights and cramming become  routine. For a lot of students, the pressure can be overwhelming. Some students even illegally use adderall for a study-aid, as a means to an end to getting the grade.

But are your grades really going to help you get the job you want?

This question first stemmed from a conversation with the VP of a Public Relations firm I visited this past semester. After reviewing my resume, she suggested I delete “Dean’s List” and other academic awards in order to free up more space for work experience. Needless to say, I was a bit taken aback.

On  11/17’s #PRStudChat, I asked the question,“Are grades important to employers?”

Valerie Simon, senior vice president at BurrellesLuce and co-host of #PRStudChat, gave some great insights on this topic:

@valeriesimon As you gain experience, grades become less important. But graduating with honors or distinctions is a great opportunity to distinguish yourself. And if you ever decide to go to grad school, grades definitely matter- if you can show that you are able to succeed academically while balancing an internship. Beyond grades and experience- work ethic, willingness to learn & personality play a tremendous role. And yes, the combination of experience (good recommendations), attitude and work ethic can help put you ahead of someone with good grades & nothing else.

And the statistics back up Valerie’s POV:

The 2007 Job Outlook Survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) ranked GPA as number 17 of the top 20 qualities employers find important in a candidate. And you know what quality was most important to employers? Communications skills.

Still not convincing enough for your A+ mind? Then ask a Public Relations firm, such as Lewis PR.

What matters to them more than a 4.0 GPA?

1.  Demonstration of an in-depth knowledge of the company and client base

2.  Mechanical perfection in the cover letter and resume presentation

3.  Collegiate sports / campus organizations

Don’t get me wrong, this is not a call to slackerdom nor is it a reflection of my academic habits (see “Dean’s List” above). We learn at a young age that all A’s get the golden star; our start to learning goal-setting skills. Good grades also show responsibility, time management, work ethic, etc.

My point is this: straight A’s are not “the end all and the be all” (Thanks, Shakespeare!) I think standardized testing in no way shows anything but the ability to memorize and regurgitate text books — aka academic bulimia — let alone intelligence. Learning- both inside and outside the classroom- is more important than that golden star on your transcript.

So relax if you didn’t get all A’s this semester. The initiative you’re taking outside of the classroom will make up for it.

*Addendum* – When I first posted this topic, I made an assumption that ALL PR students were brilliant (and I think for the most part, I’m correct). But after reading comments and tweets about this post, I realize I left out one important aspect: BAD GRADES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. In my opinion, a student with under a 3.0 gpa in their major should highly consider switiching majors: they are either 1) not cut out for the academic requirements of the major or 2) not passionate enough about what they are studying. My bottom line of this post is that experience, skills and initiative will trump “okay” grades. You don’t need a perfect A-record or a 4.0 gpa in order to get the job you want. You need to want it bad enough to do the extra stuff OUTSIDE of the classroom.