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Social Media Could Help Job-Seekers Land A Gig

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Selfies, for some time now, have been all the rage on social media—but would you ever think a selfie could help land you a job? Some experts say the job search is evolving and now job-seekers are connecting with potential employers in a variety of innovative ways.

A smartphone camera could actually help some advance their career. For Max Walker, getting an internship at an advertising agency was as easy as sending a snap.

"I found that they were doing this Snapchat campaign and it just caught my eye. It was a creative way to express myself and apply to a position," Walker said.

Having applicants express themselves is exactly what Sherri Anne Green, LMO Advertising's Director of Marketing, was looking for when she set up the campaign to recruit interns.

"Snapchat really gave us an impression of people's personalities and how they would engage with social media really early in the recruitment process," Green said.

Experts say learning about a potential hire's personality earlier in the process is key for more and more companies. Some applicants are going beyond the typical written resume and cover letter by getting noticed on social media with Snapchat or by sending creative multimedia tweets to hiring managers through taped video responses to interview questions. Also, some are submitting video cover letter—something companies like Zappos encourage.

Mark Newman is the founder of HireVue, a platform that lets companies have applicants complete recorded video interviews.

"No one can say my resume represents who I am.  So that's when it comes into video and other cool tools that empower people to tell their story," said Newman. "We're seeing massive adoption increases of almost 10x year over year. We're seeing organizations around the world using us for any type of role we could ever imagine."

Experts point out video can give candidates whose resumes and previous experience may not be the perfect fit a shot at the job.

Elissa O'Brien of the Society for Human Resource Management says these new recruiting tools are good for companies, too.

"It gives us a more efficient, more effective and maybe a cost effective way of expanding our applicant pool. It will not be a fad.  I think it's going to be a part of how we do recruiting," O'Brien said.

While some companies may use these tools to target millennials, O'Brien says it's important for all job seekers to get on board.

"In order for you to get noticed and be seen as an innovator you have to embrace the technology that is really out there," she said.

As for Walker, his internship turned into a full time job and he's glad he was introduced to his employer through Snapchat.

"I would say this is a more personal way to connect with less pressure. You're not a statistic, you're more of a, you know, human voice and personality," Walker said.

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