Over the years, a lot has been written and discussed about how to write the perfect resumé. However, the regular type-written bio data is not the only thing that recruiters look at these days. They now check out prospective employees online so one needs to have a proper presence on the Internet.
“Resumé have always played an important role. It is the first thing that your prospective employers see to know more about you. Writing a résumé is an art and we have special sessions on resume writing,” says Vaishnavi Pradhan, a placement trainer.
“Recruiters these days do a great deal of background checks before hiring an employee. Not just the resumé, these days they look at their various social networking pages. LinkedIn is one such professional social networking sites that we refer to,” she adds.
Pradeep Sarkar, a social media expert says, “The online information about a jobseeker is vital and many companies ask for live links to LinkedIn profiles of the candidates. Candidates explain their objectives etc. in almost the same ways in resumes and no one really knows who is the brain behind them. The best way to come to a conclusion is by checking their online profiles that sometimes have links and recommendations.”
“Not just that, even after people join an organisation, the companies keep a close watch on their activities to ensure that their staff is not passing on bad publicity,” he adds.
Radhika Iyer, a software professional says, “I got placed in a reputed IT company through campus placement. During the second round, they asked for my link to my professional network and they did my backgrounder there. Since I had said that I had interned with a reputed company, they confirmed with connections I had along with the other information. They even had a look at my Twitter posts to check what I was saying during the interview about my thoughts on certain social issues.”
However, there are others who believe that nothing can replace a properly worked-out resume or CV. “Résumé are not dead, they still play a pivotal role in summarising key points a recruiter wants. Online presence comes at the next stage when employers want to verify whether they are on a wild goose chase,” says Vivek Shah, a banker