How To Use Social Proof To Help Kickstart Your Career

Starting your career today takes more than just a polished resume. Strong social proof is key to getting noticed and landing your dream job. A 2017 survey by CareerBuilder shows 70% of employers use social media to screen job seekers. In addition, more than half won’t interview or hire a candidate who lacks online presence.

A company’s first impression of you doesn’t happen face-to-face anymore. They’re likely to search for you on various social networks before scheduling an interview. Understanding social proof’s importance to your career will help you use it to your advantage and get ahead of the competition.

Understanding social proof

Social proof influences how you perceive products or other people. It could validate or negate what brands or individuals say about themselves. Social proof works around the idea that someone’s perception of you depends on what people say and how they behave around you. The more people talk about you or follow you, the better your reputation becomes.

This concept is commonly used as a marketing strategy to affect consumer decision journeys and create brand awareness. In the recent years, many businesses have also incorporated it into their talent acquisition efforts, especially businesses now directly recruiting with social media:

We're looking for another editor for our political investigations team. https://t.co/4QXKGJJSvG

— Steven Ginsberg (@stevenjay) October 5, 2018

Checking a candidate’s social media presence has become an integral part of the recruitment process. 30% of employers have a person dedicated to researching candidates online. Companies are now using social proof to determine if you are what you say you are on your resume. Negative social proof can easily turn employers away. Solid social proof, on the other hand, makes you look like a promising talent.

Knowing what employers look for

With social proof changing the hiring process, it’s not enough to be present on major social networks. It’s also important to know factors employers look for when searching for you online. Here are some of them:

• Confirmation of information found on your resume: It’s common for people to exaggerate on their resumes, but they’re less likely to overemphasize things on social media where others could easily call them out. Make sure any details you put on your resume can be verified on your social accounts, paying particular attention to your LinkedIn profile.
• Evidence of your accomplishments: Connect with your peers, past clients, previous bosses, and even professors on LinkedIn and other professional social networks. Then request for recommendations, or simply engage with them in relevant conversations. You can also link to projects, organizations you are associated with, or honors and awards you’ve won.
• Proof of knowledge and expertise: Your diploma, certifications, and attendance of training or seminars are nice to have on your resume, but they aren’t enough to show your knowledge and expertise. Add all your diplomas on your LinkedIn profile, connect with professionals in your industry on Facebook, and tweet about seminars as you attend them using Twitter.

Incredibly honoured to have represented the @teagasc Knowledge Transfer Programme today at the Walsh Fellowship Seminar pic.twitter.com/6EsUdKxt0b

— Amy Connolly (@Amy_Connolly95) October 5, 2018

Your online behavior helps recruiters determine whether you’ll fit with their company culture. Participate regularly in professional groups on LinkedIn, Twitter chats in your industry, and any other online group discussion. Your activities in these groups can be seen by talent acquisition specialists, giving them an idea of your personality based on how you reply and interact with others.

Establishing social proof

The secret to having strong social proof is to be consistent on all platforms and have great engagement. Be purposeful in developing your social profiles. Follow these steps:

1. Set up winning social profiles: Use a single version of your name on all your social networks where you want to be found. You should also use the same profile photo for all your social networks. Furthermore, have a professional-looking headshot to create a great impression.
2. Complete your profile information: If it’s in your resume, it should be on your online profile. In addition, make sure to add details on your online profiles and bios that support what’s written on your resume.
3. Request recommendations and endorsements: Don’t be shy to request testimonials on LinkedIn and other professional networks from past employers, peers, and even professors. The best people to attest to your skills are the ones you’ve worked with.
4. Engage with influencers in your field: Who you associate with affects your social proof. Interact with influencers and people will think you’re an influencer too.
5. Write and share relevant content: When you don’t have enough experience and accomplishments yet, publishing articles could help get your foot in the door with an interview. Writing about relevant topics in your industry is a great way to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise. Furthermore, it shows how passionate and dedicated you are in your field.

How people respond to you is an essential part of building solid social proof. It’s hard to say you’re an expert in a field when people are ignoring your opinions and no one wants to connect with you. This is why people often buy Linkedin connections, Twitter followers, and for people with visual careers like photographers, they even buy Instagram likes and followers. Join groups, participate in discussions, and encourage your network to like, share, and comment on your content.

Integrating social proof in your resume

Social proof tells your career story. Use it to your advantage by seamlessly integrating it to your resume. Here’s how:

1. Add your social profiles: You already know recruiters will be searching for you online. Give them a nudge to the right direction. Doing this also ensures hiring officers will see your profile and not someone else’s with a similar name or background.
2. Highlight accomplishments: Citing your achievements both on your cover letter and in your resume gives employers the idea of what you could do for their company. Don’t just provide generalizations. Give impactful and quantified statements companies would be able to verify when they search for you on LinkedIn or other professional social networks.
3. Include quotes from recommendations: Make your cover letter work for you by including quotes from the recommendations you received on LinkedIn. Recommendations often go deeper than just your accomplishments as they can also show your personality and work ethic.
4. Mention any published articles: If you’ve written several articles, pick some of your best works and add their URL to your resume. This will help establish that you’re an authority in your field, and shows how well you communicate.

Establishing social proof is not an option; it’s a must. Employers are making the most of it to find the right candidates. Why not do the same? Support your resume with an impressive online reputation and you’ll have higher chances of getting noticed and hired.

Need help strengthening your social proof? Get started by growing your followers, improving your engagement, and receiving endorsements on LinkedIn. You’ll find many social media promotions companies that could boost your online reputation so you could attract organic followers and engagement even faster.