tiktok resume
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Gen Z TikTok Resumes Are A Thing And They’re More Entertaining Than LinkedIn

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve noticed that the job market is in shambles. And according to some innovative Gen Z job seekers, a regular old résumé isn’t going to cut it anymore. So how is Gen Z reaching out for employment? With TikTok résumés. 

22-year-old Ffion Clarke had applied for over 50 jobs without luck. She was about to graduate from college, and most of the jobs she was applying for were cut due to COVID-19. 

“I assume they never put a job out with the intention of cancelling it but it’s just really disheartening on top of everything else,” Clarke told VICE. “It’s very isolating even though a lot of people go through it, because you can’t do anything about it.”

“I think right now, media companies especially aren’t opening up at all,” Clarke added. “Why would they? To them it makes more sense to wait a bit, but for us, we have no idea what’s gonna happen. We don’t really want to sit around if we can avoid it.” 

Clarke, who is from the U.K., found inspiration in 22-year-old Alyshea Chand’s TikTok résumé showcasing her skills in journalism and production. Thanks to her TikTok résumé, Chand landed a job with Independent Television News (ITN). 

“TikTok is this shiny new thing that employers are fascinated by,” Chand said. “I thought if I posted it to Twitter, people would think, ‘she knows what this is, how it works, and how to use it.'”

Clarke spent two hours transforming her resume into a short video, which she uploaded to TikTok. (Anyone else getting Legally Blonde vibes? Remember Elle Woods’ video application to Harvard Law School?) Clarke’s creativity was rewarded. She was eventually hired by the podcast production company Crowd Network after her TikTok resume was spotted by CEO Mike Carr. 

“My immediate reaction was she has the right attitude, skill set and personality,” Carr told VICE. “What was impressive was all the projects she had undertaken during lockdown – a real range. She showed the ability to self-start and importantly was very creative.” 

With new trends comes new opportunities for influencers. That’s where 22-year-old New Yorker Cedoni Francis comes in. Her series of TikTok videos are helping folks nail their interviews as well as network effectively. Francis, who helped people at college with CVs, was “shocked to find out there’s actually a market for social media where people need help with their résumés, their college essays, and their interview questions.” Now, she’s making money helping people get their dream jobs. 

@cedonifrancis

#interview#college#interviewprepedutokcareer#OneMinuteFitness

♬ original sound – Cedoni

TikTok: it’s not just for fun videos anymore. It’s a legit way to get employed. 

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Patricia Grisafi

Patricia Grisafi, PhD, is a freelance writer and educator. Her work has appeared in Salon, Vice, Bitch, Bustle, Broadly, The Establishment, and elsewhere. She is passionate about pit bull rescue, cursed objects, and designer sunglasses.