Recently, TikTok announced their newest platform on their app that hopes to connect job seekers with companies, and recruiters: TikTok Resumes. In this pilot program, TikTok is partnering up with select companies such as the WWE, Target, Chipotle, and Movers+Shakers to name a few to offer potential candidates to upload videos about themselves and why they should be hired for a specific role the company is looking to fill. Before they upload their post, they need to use the hashtag #TikTokResumes so that recruiters can see the video the applicant posts. This idea is very new and may change the way the hiring process is viewed forever.

I’ll look at the pros and cons of TikTok Resumes, and give my opinion at the end to see whether TikTok Resumes will become a mainstay for the future.

Pros of TikTok Resumes

One of the biggest pros of TikTok giving users the opportunity to post a video resume on their platform is that it allows the recruiters to see the person they are potentially hiring, and for the job seeker, not only can this distribute lots of information at a short period of time, but also gives them the opportunity to show their creativity. This could be a benefit to the job seeker to show what they can do before they even get into the next round of interviews. This sounds like a fantastic opportunity to me.

Additionally, TikTok going along with this plan of video resumes will ultimately challenge how the hiring process is completed forever. For instance, companies might come up with a new policy stating that paper resumes will no longer be accepted and that video resumes are the only way to be considered for a position. Considering that a significant percentage of TikTok users are Millennials and from Generation Z, TikTok could also expand into older generations using TikTok for entertainment and professional purposes as well. This would give people who have experience with TikTok now an advantage over other applicants looking to do a video resume.

Using TikTok as a place for people to connect for professional opportunities also means that companies have the power to create more content on their TikTok pages, which drives in more traffic, likes, and potentially followers as well. For example, NERF used TikTok to promote their newest “Chief TikTok Officer” role which was a fixed 3-month contract, which offered $10,000 per month. The campaign NERF did to promote the job was a huge success. The #NerfApplication was viewed over 84 million times, NERF gained 22,000 followers, gained 250,000 additional total likes on the platform, and also received over 1,000 applications for the position. In the end, Sophie Jamison, a junior at The University of Southern Maine, ultimately got the position. She is no stranger to TikTok as well, gaining over 1.8 million followers posting NERF Content Daily for her following. Having campaigns like that can be very beneficial to a business because not only can a successful campaign grow the brand, but also attract creative applicants to exciting positions.

TikTok Resumes is producing the first of its kind, in which using video resumes can help create job opportunities for a tight-job market. This can also come to prove that awareness of specific jobs can either increase or decrease. For example, if a company wants to promote a job for an entry-level position, the idea could be to post on TikTok rather than LinkedIn, as more potential candidates will likely have/know how to use TikTok rather than LinkedIn. Roles such as a Chief TikTok Officer could be promoted better through video rather than on LinkedIn. And while LinkedIn is the primary professional networking site, TikTok allows different features that can attract more creative minds. 

If TikTok creates a new trend in which video resumes are the ideal stepping stone in the application process, it will change the way the hiring process is done forever. Now let’s take a look at the potential cons to TikTok’s newest resume platform

Negatives to TikTok Resumes

One of the biggest cons to having announced TikTok Resumes is the fact that LinkedIn is already the main way for employers and professionals to seek jobs and network with each other. Even platforms like Indeed, and ZipRecruiter are already well-established platforms and have always been seen as the ideal ways to find a job. Some people may feel that TikTok Resumes are not as professional as things such as LinkedIn Profiles, and ultimately choose established platforms rather than using TikTok. It might come down to the fact that because there is too much competition that TikTok might not work out.

Video Resumes also take much longer to review. The average time a recruiter spends on a paper resume is about 7.4 seconds. While as crazy as this sounds, recruiters need to go through resumes fast, as they usually receive hundreds of applications for one position. With TikTok, the most time that you can spend on a video is 60 seconds. Imagine a recruiter reviewing hundreds of video resumes on TikTok. It wastes more time and delays the position being filled. And this also affects the applicants because they need to wait longer to see if they were offered an interview, or if they did not get past the next stage. While video resumes can be a great way to show creativity, it just wastes time, which could be a con for Tik Tok Resumes.

When you submit a video resume through TikTok, you also have the potential for recruiters to view your entire profile. On TikTok, having your profile private or public can be a lose-lose situation. If your profile is on private mode, it can lead to the assumption from a recruiter that there is something on your profile that you may not want them to see. However, if your profile is public, they can access everything that you have posted on your social media, and if they see the wrong things, it can lead to you not getting the job. If you do not have anything bad on your profile, you do not have anything to worry about. This goes to show that it is important to know what you are making public for the world to see. Recruiters also want to know if you are a good person overall as well, outside of the important necessities for the job.

Lastly, the concept of TikTok Resumes is too new, and has not been proven yet that it could change the way we think about the hiring process. If TikTok Resumes become more and more of a hit, then it could be difficult to differentiate things not related to work, with people looking for jobs. TikTok is primarily known to be a social platform where its trends have taken over the world. While it could be a great opportunity to start a new trend, it has to face competition from the likes of LinkedIn, and Indeed. 

My Thoughts On TikTok Resumes

I do believe that there are some great talking points about TikTok Resumes. It is definitely creative and can offer new job opportunities to people who are looking for a new job. Additionally, many companies have already started to make their presence known on TikTok, with Nerf using the platform to recruit a Chief TikTok Officer, and it ended up becoming a huge success. 

While there are many positives to TikTok’s newest platform, I still think that the concept is too new, and will not be successful on TikTok. Do not get me wrong, I am all for the idea of having video resumes in the future. However, I just do not see it happening on a platform on TikTok, whose demographic is geared towards younger audiences.