August 9, 2021
NewsIs the reign of LinkedIn about to come to an end? It may have found a competitor in the most unlikely of places. When it comes to TikTok, most of us see it as an alternative to Instagram and any other social media platform that focuses on short videos that can go viral overnight. It’s not just Instagram that has to be worried about losing its popularity to TikTok, LinkedIn has to be worried as well.
Most of us think of TikTok as a way of sharing hacks, outfit videos, and witty content. We’ve long seen LinkedIn as the ‘professional’ social media channel where you connect with people within your industry and build your network virtually. For years, LinkedIn is one social media platform that every college graduate has been told to sign up to. But could TikTok be the new place to focus your job search?
It seems TikTok has set its sights on overtaking the niche of LinkedIn by leveraging their multi-billion-dollar app to allow its users to apply for jobs. The hashtag #TikTokResumes allows users to directly approach some of the best-known brands in the world.
The social media platform LinkedIn launched in May 2003 and has been changing the hiring process and professional networking ever since. It’s essentially a professional networking service that operates online, allowing its users to post their CVs and provide updates on a feed similar to a Twitter or Facebook feed. Employers can also use LinkedIn as a recruiting pool by posting job openings and to update followers on their business development.
It offers something for every professional – whether you’re a recruiter or someone looking to go to the next stage of your career. It’s been owned by Microsoft since 2016. In June 2021, LinkedIn currently has over 750 million registered users from over 200 countries across the world.
LinkedIn allows you to create a profile that documents your career achievements, education, and personal skills in one easy place. It acts as a more in-depth CV, with fellow users being able to provide recommendations and references directly to your profile. You can provide as much information as you want, using different sections of the platform. Businesses can set up a similar profile for their companies, including similar information about their projects, clients, and mission.
Businesses and users can ‘connect’ with each other online, forming a social network that looks just like a real-world professional relationship. You can invite anyone to become a ‘connection’ on LinkedIn, including potential mentors and people within your industry that you would like to connect with.
TikTok describes itself as “an entertainment platform that’s powered by a community that’s fuelling culture”. The addition of #TikTokResumes is designed to enhance the experience of the user on the platform, leveraging it as a way to embark on their recruitment journey.
By using TikTok’s easy-to-use and built-in video creating tools, the platform gives job hunters a unique way to discover career opportunities and for businesses to find the right candidate for them.
TikTok Resumes is a pilot program that has been launched as a way of turning the video-sharing app into a new way of recruiting and discovering employment opportunities. For its launch, TikTok has teamed up with a number of companies who are offering entry-level positions, including Shopify and Target.
The new TikTok resume program is a three-party system. It allows users to search for available job openings, post their video resume as an application, and submit it to the company that is hiring. The feature is already showing promise with brands like Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and Chipotle utilizing the platform during their hiring process. You can even apply to be the next WWE superstar using the TikTok resume program.
The brands that have quickly joined the scheme are those who have been using the platform as part of their digital marketing strategy. Marissa Andrada, the Chief Diversity, Inclusion, and People Officer at Chipotle described the platform as being “ingrained into Chipotle’s DNA” and that they’re “evolving our presence to help bring in top talent to our restaurants”. Chipotle has already used the TikTok resume program to advise over 15,000 jobs across the United States.
It’s not just other brands who are using the recruiting program, TikTok themselves are using their platform to scout out potential candidates for job vacancies. Each video application can be up to three-minutes long, allowing candidates to pitch themselves directly on the app towards their potential employer.
Right now, the TikTok resume program is only opened to candidates based in the United States. With TikTok growing every day, we have no doubt that this program will eventually be rolled out globally to users in other countries. All users however can use the #TikTokResumes hashtag to post their video resume, even if they can’t access opened positions.
TikTok has set its eyes firmly on redefining the space currently occupied by LinkedIn as the leading platform for connecting candidates and potential employers. The popular app is encouraging candidates to use the resume program in a way that is “creatively and authentically” showing their potential. There’s no doubt that TikTok’s latest venture is targeted at Gen Z and millennials, who are already fuelling the expansion of the app’s popularity.
You can explore the TikTok resumes program at www.tiktokresumes.com. The website includes several examples to help you see how you should film and caption your resume video. It also shares the platform’s top career creators who share all the tips you need to get started.
Are you interested in experimenting with TikTok resumes? Unlike LinkedIn, TikTok Resumes is a new program and not one that you’ll find many advice guides for. We’ve gone in search of the TikTok-approved advice on how to create a winning TikTok resume.
Here’s how you can craft the perfect TikTok resume:
- DO: Highlight why you would be a great asset for a company by highlighting your skills, knowledge, and qualifications.
- DON’T: Be afraid to let your personality shine through. Recruiters want to get to know who you are and that’s why video is such a powerful tool. TikTok is all about authentic self-representation and you want to carry that through into your video resume.
- DO: Avoid saying your last name or email during your video. It shouldn’t include any personal or confidential information as this will be included later in the application process.
- DO: Keep your video up and set to public for one month after posting to allow recruiters enough time to review your TikTok resume.
- DON’T: Use music that is too loud. While music is okay, you want to make sure that you can still be heard speaking clearly.
- DO: Film your video vertically and use the hashtag #TikTokResumes and use TikTok tools and effects to help share your passion and job experience. The green screen filter and voiceover tool are the perfect choice.
Just like on other apps, there’s an expanding subculture on the TikTok platform called #CareerTok that works exactly like LinkedIn – but in video form. The purpose of the TikTok Resume program is to reimagine what the recruiting and job discovery process is like for the next generation of leaders.
We often think of TikTok as being the home to hashtags about Y2K and cottagecore, but #CareerTok is one of the strongest trends on TikTok. There are over 73.2 million views on the hashtag, with thousands of videos sharing tips and tricks for fellow professionals and job seekers. You’ll find videos where users are sharing their professional advice, employment stories, and tips to help others attain their dream job.
The Marketing Manager at TikTok, Kayla Dixon, has described the program as “a natural extension of our TikTok College Ambassadors program, where we previously employed hundreds of college students as on-campus brand representatives”. Currently, the recruitment program is aimed at college students and job seekers who are hunting for entry-level jobs.
It is this growing subculture on the app that led to the release of Tik Tok resumes, but it’s not the only trend that has led to its release. LinkedIn itself has carried our research that shows that 76% of hiring managers think pre-recorded interviews would help with the candidate selection process. More than 60% of those survived believe that video resumes could one day replace the traditional cover letter.
In an effort to take on the TikTok expansion, LinkedIn has updated its platform to include a new feature that allows users to add a short video introduction on their profile.
It’s hard to think that the platform that brought us viral videos, dance routines, and beauty hacks could become a recruitment platform. In the future, LinkedIn might find itself replaced by TikTok. It’s hard to predict where the video platform’s recruiting program will go next. Time will only tell, but we’re excited to see where the video-sharing app will go next.
What do you think of TikTok’s resume program? Would you apply for a job using a video resume? Let us know in the comments below!
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