Importance of resume and social media consistency

In the title of this blog I refer to the importance of “resume and social media consistency”. This doesn’t mean that they have to be the same, it just means that they have to be consistent. Certainly the factual information, such as the dates that you worked at specific companies and your college degrees, should be identical; but other information may be complementary, presented from a different perspective, and/or contained in one and not the other. For example, your resume may not include your philanthropic activities, such as volunteering to run an annual event for the Special Olympics or chairing a fundraiser for a local food pantry; but these types of information on you in your social media or within the social media of the organizations you are helping can quietly and without your knowledge be of great value to you. It’s funny in life, sometimes when you perform selfless acts of kindness, in the long run, the one that ends up being help the most is you. This type of social media is certainly different than what is on your resume, but helps paint a more complete and rounded picture of you beyond just your specific work track record and accomplishments.

In closing, I would just like to say that whether or not you are currently looking for a job, I suggest that you
• Compare your current resume to social media based information to assure there are no accidental inconstancies.
• Look for internet-based or social media-based information about you that doesn’t present you in a way you would like to be seen and, if possible, work to remove it.
• If you have done great things like climbing high mountains or have been of value to your fellow man, consider adding it to your profiles. On the one hand it may be of value to you; on the other hand, it may be of value to others by providing them inspiration to do the same.

If you have any questions about your career in IT, please email me at
eric@ManagerMechanics.com or find me on Twitter at @EricPBloom.

Until next time, work hard, work smart, and continue to grow.

Read more of Eric Bloom's Your IT Career blog and follow the latest IT news at ITworld. Follow Eric on Twitter at @EricPBloom. For the latest IT news, analysis and how-tos, follow ITworld on Twitter and Facebook.