The relevance of a digital profile as an employability tool

Arguments both for and against the relevance of a digital profile as an employability tool could be
explained. For example some might say that in a modern society this would be the most practical
way to showcase your skills to a new potential employer. Contrary to this others would argue that
more traditional ways, which society has always favoured, such as a curriculum vitae should still be
used as it is more straight-forward and easy to understand. However, to understand the relevance of
a digital profile as an employability tool, first we must understand what both the phrases digital
profile, and employability tool, can be defined as.
In an article, written by Manchester Metropolitan University, they describe employability as:
Employability is the development of skills, abilities and personal attributes that enhance students
capability to secure rewarding and satisfying outcomes in their economic, social and community
lives (Manchester Metropolitan University, 2014). The concept of a digital profile, however, is a
relatively new concept and therefore more difficult to explain. However one explanation of a digital
profile could be, A digital portfolio is about demonstrating your brand through online activity. It
shows employers what youre passionate about and driven by; how you communicate and engage
with others, as well as leadership or innovation in your field. Dont just blog or post, start building an
online portfolio that employers can use to connect with you, understand you and identify the right
opportunities for you. (Wehbe 2012)
Firstly it could be argued that a digital profile is a key part of any potential graduates
employability kit as it offers the capability to showcase your skills to an employer. Furthermore it is a
good way to show a level of credibility, and creativity which could make a potential candidate stand
out from the abundance of curriculum vitaes that an employer might receive. People who search
for you online in preparation for a meeting want to know what you bring to the table. A limp list of
past job positions leaves more questions in their minds than answers. A robust profile tells searchers
about your accomplishments, commendations and credentials. (Searcy, 2012). This article
emphasises this point; and shows that in contemporary society a digital profile is an inventive, and
highly relevant means of portraying skills to a potential employer.
Additionally it could be argued that nowadays a digital profile, such as LinkedIn, is a more
versatile means of boasting a candidates accomplishments, qualifications, and experiences to a
potential employer. Not only this but it can be good way to make that all important first impression
that might be needed in the corporate world. It could also be argued that the relevance of digital
profiles is growing with time as society ages. We are now entering an age where society, on the
whole, is becoming increasingly computer-literate. 'The new reality is you need a digital profile. Its
not an option if you are looking to earn a living, stay marketable, maintain and expand your networks
and connections, and grow your business.' (Tombrakos, 2012) Essentially, this means that a digital
profile is a more practical convention by which to convey your employability in an ageing society, it
also emphasises the increasing relevance of digital profiles in society.
Contrary to this others would argue the point that whilst there can be huge benefits of
digital profiles there can also be implications if your profile is not up to date and has inappropriate
content. Since the takeover of digital media, in particular social networking sites in the last 10 years,
employers are becoming more and more likely to check your social networking pages in order to get
background information on how you act out of the workplace; as well as find out what your interests
might be. Employers already know its a good idea to check job candidates Facebook pages to make
sure there arent any horrible red flags there. The reddest flags for most employers seem to be drugs,
drinking, badmouthing former employers, and lying about ones qualifications. But theres another

good reason for checking out a candidates Facebook page before inviting them in for an interview: it
may be a fairly accurate reflection of how good theyll be at the job. (Hill, 2012) This shows that in
modern society peoples online profiles are now a tool that can be used by potential employers to
get an understanding of the candidate before interviewing them. However some would argue that
this is a highly subjective and unfair way of interviewing as interviewers would inevitably make prejudgments on candidates once theyve seen applicants social media pages.
When looking at the use of digital profiles from a business perspective it is evident that they
can have a direct impact on the reputation of a business; this is due to the growing relevance of
digitised media as it can be the making or breaking of a business in this day and age. More than half
(52 per cent) admit their business has already suffered because of damaging posts, while ten per cent
say they are unhappy with the way their firm is portrayed on their Google page one. (Donnelly 2014)
The main reason this usually occurs is because if a consumer is happy with a product or service they
are less likely to post their satisfaction. However if they are upset with a product or service that
theyve received then they will take to social media pages to voice their anger. This shows that in
modern society digital profiles are an external technological factor of growing importance that
business owners need to look into. The root of the issue can be identified via this quote from the
same recent article. Only a third of bosses felt they had all the skills they needed to keep their
companys online reputation up to scratch, with one in ten admitting they had no idea how to protect
themselves. (Donnelly, 2014) One potential solution for current business owners suffering with this
kind of problem might be to outsource digital work to external companies who have more
experience in that particular area of expertise.
Another concept which could be looked into in regards to digital profiles is personal
branding, of an online profile. This, essentially, refers to the idea that nowadays people have the
capability to shape, and mold their profiles into a brand which reflects their own attitudes and
beliefs. This idea was originally used by big global companies to achieve worldwide recognition,
however, these days its an idea that can just as easily be implemented by any graduate hoping to
stand out from the crowd. There can be a number of reasons why an individual might partake in
personal branding including: aiding their business goals, for social success, or even as a form of selfactualization. Our research reveals that social network profile pages are the primary mechanism
that people use for self-branding. (Labrecque et al, 2010) As made evident from this quote a
majority of people partake in personal branding via social networking pages. Some would argue that
in this day and age a strong personal brand is essential if you want to be successful in the business
world, particularly in an ever-increasingly competitive market. Today, in the age of the individual,
you have to be your own brand. (Peters, 1997) This article further emphasizes the growing relevance
of personal branding, through sources such as digital profiles, in modern society particularly if you
wish to remain competitive, and valuable to potential employer. Despite the benefits of personal
branding, others would argue that there are some strong disadvantages that you should,
imperatively, be made aware of. This article sheds light on some of the disadvantages for example;
It limits your ability to explore other possibilities, (Hassan, 2014) The main point this article is
looking to explain is if a potential employer sees that you are branded as a marketing director, for
example, then this might limit you to only that type of job. Thusly, you might neglect to have a
career in something else which you feel passionately about.
To conclude, it is evident that in contemporary society digital profiles such as Facebook,
Twitter, and Linkedin are becoming increasingly relevant in terms of employability. Whilst there is
pros and cons on both sides of the argument the pros generally outweigh the cons. It can be seen
that if you wish to remain competitive against other graduates then these forms of social media are

a necessity. To be safe you should ideally check your digital footprint, every couple of years to
check content is relevant and suitable, just in case a potential employer does come across one of
your pages.

References:
Searcy, T., 2012. 3 Tips to make your digital profile look good [online] [viewed 9 December 2014].
Available from: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/3-tips-to-make-your-digital-profile-look-good/
Manchester Metropolitan University., 2014. What is employability? [online] [viewed 9 December
2014]. Available from: http://www.mmu.ac.uk/careers/students-andgraduates/resources/guides/what-is-employability.pdf
Wehbe, M., 2012. Build your digital profile [online] [viewed 10 December 2014]. Available from:
http://www.kellyservices.co.uk/UK/Careers/Career-Guidance/Build-Your-DigitalProfile/#.VImeQTGsWKu
Tombrakos, J., 2012. 7 Reasons you need a digital profile [online] [viewed 10 December 2014].
Available from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/85broads/2012/11/30/7-reasons-you-need-avibrant-digital-profile/
Hill, K., 2012. Facebook can tell you if a person is worth hiring [online] [viewed 10 December
2014]. Available from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/03/05/facebook-can-tellyou-if-a-person-is-worth-hiring/
Donnelly, C., 2014. The downside of digital: coping with negative feedback [online] [viewed 10
December 2014]. Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/socialmedia/11006768/The-downside-of-digital-coping-with-negative-feedback.html
Labrecque, L., 2010. Online personal branding: processes, challenges, and implications [online]
[viewed 8 January 2015]. Available from:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1094996810000587
Peters, T., 1997. The brand called you [online] [viewed 8 January 2015]. Available from:
http://www.fastcompany.com/28905/brand-called-you
Hassan, A., 2014. The ultimate list of disadvantages of having a personal brand [online] [viewed 8
January 2015]. Available from: https://passiontribe.com/ultimate-list-disadvantages-personalbrand/