4 Statistics That Prove Social-Media is Critical for Job Seekers

If you recently started a job search, you might be wondering whether your social-media profiles are important for landing your next dream job.

These days, most job applications are submitted online and most interviews are run on the phone/video calls. But, if you didn’t know this, employers usually like to “check out” applicants online before offering an interview.

In fact, the latest research shows that your LinkedIn profile, in particular, can have a major impact on your job hunt success.

Here are the four most important statistics from across the web:

Statistic #1: 95% of Recruiters Use LinkedIn to Source and Screen Job Candidates

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional social-media platform with more than 640 million users and growing. Most people are using the platform for networking or sales. But, recruiters, executives, and hiring managers also use the platform to quickly weed out job candidates.

Many job openings will get 100s of applications – so employers use LinkedIn to quickly review applicants profiles’ and disqualify under-qualified or undesirable applications.

So, if you don’t have a recently-taken professional LinkedIn headshot, you might be scaring these potential employers away.

Source: US News

Statistic #2: 67% of Companies Check Social-Media Profiles Before Extending Job Offers

Your LinkedIn profile isn’t just important for getting invited to initial job interviews. Your profile is also critical for getting your final job offer.

Hiring managers (and their HR departments) usually check your online profiles just one more time before making a final decision.

They’re mostly looking for “red flags” in your social media accounts, like inflammatory statements and really inappropriate photos. But, if a company is considering multiple applicants, why take a chance on your profile not looking its best?

PS: They don’t just check LinkedIn, but will also review any other publicly accounts like your Facebook/Instagram as well.

Source: PR Newswire

Statistic #3: Employers Create “First Impressions” in Just 1/10th of a Second

Perhaps most scary of all: When hiring managers are looking at your online profiles, they will generate a “first impression” in just one-tenth of a single second.

Humans are visual creatures and have incredibly short attention spans. So, we often judge products, services, food, and even people just based on how they look! 

How do you look on LinkedIn? Ten times more people will view your photo versus read through all the text in your job history.

And, you never get a second chance to make a great first impression.

Source: Healthline

Statistic #4: Professional Headshots Make You Look 76% More Competent

Professional headshots have a dramatic impact on how competent (aka “good”) hiring managers think you will be at a job. 

In 2019, we sponsored an independently run four-month study. In the study, we asked 400 randomly-selected participant to rate the “competence, likability, and influence” of three people…based only on their headshot and job title. (ie Exactly the same information an employer would have about you on LInkedIn.)

Each of the three participants submitted a low-quality photo, along with a professional headshot for comparison.

Here is an example test result:

Across the group, new professional headshots led to a 76% increase in how “competent” the participant appeared. Professional headshots also led to a 9% increase in how likable they appeared, and a 62% increase in how influential they seemed. (We cite the study below.)

So, if you have a selfie, graduation photo, or other low-quality profile photo – it’s actually making you look stupid!

Source: HeadShots Inc Independent Study 

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Thanks for reading! Hopefully, these statistics show that your LinkedIn profile is absolutely critical for landing your next dream job. Whether you’re a corporate executive or a recent college grad, a professional headshot has a powerful impact on how employers see you online. 

If you want our easy 13-point checklist to help you organize your job hunt, download our free PDF here: HeadShots Job Hunter Checklist. We cover everything you need to do to get started with your job search.