All,
I'm noticing many of my friends are applying for jobs that'll kick start their careers, as I'm heading into my senior year at Central Michigan University.
Many of them are finally updating and paying attention to the LinkedIn profile they made freshman year. All of them are giving their resumé a make-over, rewriting sections, or coming up with a sleek design. Some have even gotten job offers from their summer internship. For instance, my girlfriend Olivia just received an official offer from her sales internship in Iowa, I'm not sure she'll take it but she feels good about getting an offer.
I know a lot of my friends are excited to start their careers and are looking hard for a position that'll work for them. Some of them have even thought about taking an alternative approach for their job hunt. Posting their resumé on Tik Tik.
And they are not alone. Many Gen Z-ers are taking to the social media app to post their resumé and give an elevator pitch according to a recent New York Timesarticle.
In modern job searches, tidy one-page résumés are increasingly going the way of the fax machine. That may be accelerated by an app known for viral lip-syncing and dance videos, which is popularizing the TikTok résumé.
As more college students and recent graduates use TikTok to network and find work, the company has introduced a program allowing people to apply directly for jobs. And employers, many facing labor shortages, are interested. Chipotle, Target, Alo Yoga, Sweetgreen and more than three dozen other companies have started hiring people via the app.
Honestly, I love this idea.
LinkedIn and Indeed and so many other job searching platforms can be so impersonal. How am I able to stand out in the sea of other college graduates with similar-looking resumés? A college graduate's profile can only be so unique. The Tik Tok video format could offer an excellent way to set yourself apart from the rest. Some people have even been offered full-time positions using this method.
“Calling all recruiters!” Makena Yee, 21, a college student in Seattle, shouted into her camera in a recent TikTok video. “These are the reasons why you should hire me!”
Ms. Yee went on to outline her qualifications. “I’m driven with confidence, I love keeping organized, I’m adaptive and I’m a team player,” she said, as images of companies she had worked for flashed up on a green screen behind her.
The 60-second video quickly racked up over 182,000 views and hundreds of comments. Users tagged potential employers. “Someone hire herrrr!” one commenter implored. Ms. Yee said she had received more than 15 job leads, which she plans to pursue after a summer internship.
So who knows, maybe next time you're looking for an intern or any other position, take a look at Tik Tok, you may be surprised on what you see.
Jacob