How To Create The New Social Media Format (SMR) Resume!

In the current economic gloom, with companies going belly up, finding new jobs calls for that little extra that can give an edge over competition. This often means jazzing up one’s resume and making it interesting. Most of you will agree that a plain text CV can be quite boring. Imagine an HR department receiving hundreds of such CVs; they may end up not making the right choice eventually.

The social media resume format is a media format of a resume and contains media elements such as MP 3s or videos created by you do the talking, instead of you. This was first created by Christopher Penn, who gave it the name of SMR and provided an online sample.

This resume format is catching up with job seekers and it seems to be doing wonders. According to a user, the main advantage of using this format is that it can be customized to reflect you as a person. All the elements of a normal resume continue to be present with additions of multimedia elements, integrated social networking feeds and sharing options. Adding these certainly equips a person better for success.

Multimedia

The main aspect of SMR is of course multimedia. Apart from making the resume colorful and interesting, it provides a chance for employers to see the actual person, instead of just a piece of text on paper. This multimedia can be created using either googlepages.com or wordpress.com.

Let’s see what can be uploaded:

You can upload videos of you, answering simple interview questions and talking about your qualifications and achievements.

If you have conducted any seminars or held conferences, you can add videos of that or even MP3s.

You can embed your photos taken in important business situations or when meeting important people in your field.

It would be wonderful if you can get audio testimonials from your previous employers, clients or colleagues.

Pointers

If you have an online presence at social networking sites, like Facebook, where you have created profiles, you can provide pointers to them. This will help people understand your persona better. This will also help them see your connections, giving them an idea of what sort of people you interact or deal with usually. If you are going to be creating a resume six months or one year down the line, it would help to sign up with these sites and start building a good job-oriented profile.

If you already have a presence in the social networking scene, you can start cleaning up everything you feel should not be seen by your future employers. Since social networking is public, you have to wipe out all the signs people may consider negative, even inappropriate pictures of yourself. If you have uploaded a picture of you drunk, take it out.

The wonderful thing about SMR is that it can be shared. Since it is not paper and does not need photocopying, it can be passed on to any number of social networking sites. The more social networking sites you leave a URL at, the easier it will be to catch the eye of someone important.

Keywords

If you have been online for any amount of time, you would know that search engines rule. Using the relevant keywords is the key to being found. If you are looking for a position in “aeronautics,” you should ensure these words figure in your resume. Make a list of all the words that best describe you and the industry you are in and use them intelligently in your resume, making sure not to over-use the keywords.

With the awareness of this format increasing, many employers now look for these formats to find the perfect person for the position.

Let’s see what employers think of this format.

The general consensus of employers is that it is a good format and helps them understand the person’s ability to communicate effectively, which is perceived as the most important skill in the current day.

All this may sound interesting and exciting but do not overdo it. Overdoing it can kill whatever little chance you have of finding that perfect job. Keep the videos and photos to the minimum as the page will take longer to load and it does not depict professionalism. If you have something else you want people to see, then you can always add links to pages where they can be viewed, such as YouTube or Flickr album.

Well, what are you waiting for? Show your talent and land yourself a dream job.