Applying for a job in the age of LinkedIn and social media

It's a brand new year and that could mean a brand new job for some people. But candidates need to set themselves apart and do a lot more than just submit a polished resume.

A resume is not enough. The way a person speaks and writes all comes into play when applying for a job.

A new Accountemps survey found 39% of senior managers said candidates need to network and connect on the business profile site LinkedIn. In addition, 35% said it's good to include personal details such as hobbies on their resume.

Accountemps Central Jersey Regional Manager Dora Onyschak said in addition to looking at a candidate's skills and experience, managers are also looking at their digital presence. They will check out a person's social media, online portfolios and person websites.

Type your name into a search engine, check out the social media profiles, then scrub them. View it as an employer would, so change anything that could be construed as unprofessional.

She added to be sure to include any star qualities, making sure that the social site is posting things about a person's capabilities, not just one's work history. It should highlight some key accomplishments in regards to work examples and what has been done with other organizations.

"You need to incorporate key industry terms to describe your skills. So talk the talk for the job that you want," said Onyschak.

Be selective on who you're linking with on social media. Many potential employers may reach out to those connections. Having connections can also help a person find other job opportunities.

Update social media profiles frequently and keep them current.

More than 50% of employers like cover letters, so Onyschak said writing a clear and concise cover letter is extremely important when searching for a job in 2020.

Managers also want to see if a prospective candidate is researching the company to which they are applying to and making a match to the organization as well as the role.

Whatever you do, Onyschak said never include anything on a job application that would make a manager question one's professionalism.

About 35% of employers said including cartoons, Bitmojis or caricatures turn them off. There may be some exceptions like applying for jobs in the creative field but it's mostly unacceptable, she said.

Using different colored fonts, different sized fonts and images on a person's email communication during the hiring process is also not acceptable, said Onyschak.