This article was published in 2014 and updated in October 2026.
Social media is good for more than cat pictures and updates about your best friend’s breakfast. If you’re looking for a job — or thinking about leaving the one you have — you can use it to promote your resume and stand out from the crowd. But first, make sure to build a great resume before you start promoting it.
The traditional paper resume is no longer enough today.
Think of it as marketing — with you as the brand
Promoting your resume online is a form of marketing, and the product is you. Employers hire people because they have a problem to solve. Your job is to show them that you are the solution.
Define your personal brand
Your name, experience, skills and personality together make up your personal brand. Maybe you’re an experienced, creative writer with a quirky sense of humour who treats deadlines as sacred and works well in teams. That’s your brand — and your resume, profiles and posts should all tell the same story.
Make LinkedIn your hub
LinkedIn is the most important network for job seekers today. Recruiters search it every day, and many employers check your profile before an interview.
- Use a professional photo and a clear headline that says what you do and what you’re looking for.
- Write an “About” section in your own voice, and list your experience, skills and achievements with concrete results.
- Use the “Open to Work” feature (visible to recruiters only, if you prefer) and set your job preferences.
- Ask former colleagues and managers for recommendations, and add your resume or portfolio to the Featured section.
- Join groups in your field, comment on posts and share your own insights — visibility leads to opportunities.
Job platforms such as Indeed — and in Germany XING — are also worth a profile, depending on your industry and country.
Keep all your profiles consistent
Update the “About” or bio sections of your other social media profiles as well, so they reflect the same professional brand, and link them to each other and to your LinkedIn profile. Recruiters often look you up on several platforms; same tone, same message, same brand shows that you know what you’re doing.
Show your work
Depending on your field, a portfolio says more than any resume: a personal website, writing samples, a design portfolio on Behance or Dribbble, code on GitHub, or videos on YouTube. Link it prominently in your resume and profiles.
Use your network
It’s often said that success depends less on what you know than on who you know. Tell your network that you’re looking for a job — in a LinkedIn post, a message to former colleagues or a conversation with friends. You’ll be surprised how often someone replies, “I know someone who’s hiring.”
Clean up your digital footprint
Before you start promoting yourself, search for your own name and review what employers will find. Remove or hide anything inflammatory or unprofessional, and check the privacy settings of your personal accounts.
Final thoughts
Tailor your resume for online use instead of simply pasting your paper version, and adapt it to each job you apply for. And remember, you can even manage much of your job hunt from your phone — see our job hunting tips using an iPhone. Good luck!
Tech Crates
Feb 22. 2014
Social media is a great way to promote your CV/resume. Great post John, thanks a lot
rahul
Feb 26. 2014
Great tips, thanks for sharing…
Bryo
Mar 02. 2014
Never underestimate the power of Linkedin, it’s a great way for potential to assess your skills and network. Great article !
KISHOR
Mar 03. 2014
nice way……..thanks for sharing…
Sagar
Mar 04. 2014
Nice and informative post
Social media has been so helpful not only in just one sector but in many aspects.Social media a great help in promoting your products online, great help for advertising your business, now from this post it is clear we can promote our CV’s too . This surely would be a great help for people who looking for the right job.
Thank you for sharing. I hope many people get benefited from this post.
John
Mar 05. 2014
Thank you! Glad you liked!
Priya
Mar 04. 2014
I’ve seen lots of groups in facebook which provide such services and this is the easiest way to promote CV or Resumes via social networks. The other tips you mentioned are also working in real life.
John
Mar 05. 2014
Excellent! Good to know! 🙂
John
Mar 25. 2014
Thanks very much for the information.
LinkedIn is much under-rated,but can be an excellent site.
Regards
John Hayes
Jt
Mar 27. 2014
Yeah, LinkedIn doesn’t seem to get nearly enough respect, which is regrettable. It’s a good networking/schmoozing site.
Nissa
Jun 13. 2014
The format and content of your resume will have an influence on whether or not you are selected to be interview. Before submit and promote your resume using media social make sure that your resume fits the job you are applying for by emphasizing different skills for different jobs.
John
Jun 13. 2014
Yes by all means. Know your audience and tailor the resume to them.