Social media has become much more than a cool tool to communicate with your friends. Your social profiles present the real you to everyone, from your future employer to a potential investor for your new business. So here’s the rub – what social profiles do you include in a resume? Is there a specific platform you should include no matter what industry you’re applying to? Does excluding certain profiles make you look like you’re hiding something? And – how much is too much!?!

Here’s a few tips to help you decide:

LinkedIn is a big YES – period!

LinkedIn is the place to be if you’re a young professional – no matter the industry. This is the place to connect and engage with the right people. You should always view your LinkedIn account as an extended resume.

When you’re fresh out of college, your resume isn’t all that impressive so treat LinkedIn as an opportunity to expand more – include projects etc.

Don’t just state that you’re on LinkedIn so that they have to go search for you – make it as easy as possible for a recruiter to find you!

When it comes to adding LinkedIn to your resume make sure you create a shortened profile URL instead of adding the lengthy URL they provide. Make sure your link/username shows your name i.e. www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyshreve – that way you can include it in your resume in a professional format.

Facebook is a No but needs to pass the “eye test”

You should always be able to be found – no matter what you’re doing on social media – and you should always pass the “eye test” to show that you’re not a bad person. Now, if you’ve created a page and you’re using that as part of your portfolio, then you can include that on your resume.

Twitter is a Yes but you need to be active and public

What are you trying to accomplish if you have a Twitter profile and it’s protected? What’s the point of having a Twitter account if you’re not going to post to it daily? If you’re creating a Twitter profile just to list it, don’t because if you haven’t tweeted anything in the last six months, there’s no point. If you’ve been working for a company and you’ve been actively tweeting about it, add it to your resume.

Instagram and Vine – Only if you’re creative

If all you’re adding to Instagram and Vine are photos of your dog then don’t list it. Let’s say you’re a photographer or in a creative role with a company, then you can add these profiles.

The fact is, in today’s world, if you can’t be found on the internet – you don’t exist and if you can’t show that you know how to use social media for business purposes, they will assume you’re not tech savvy and way behind the times.

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