Social Science Hints and Tips

Please use our Social Science Tips to help you secure an interview with your CV!

Social Science Hints and Tips

Our Social Science Tips will improve your chances at landing your next job interview. Each chunk of a zygadoc™ is designed to help you promote yourself and we have created these proven techniques to enhance your chances even further.

Profile Chunk

Your profile is really important and there are a number of subsections to explore. People worry about putting a photo on their profile and in some cases you might want a photo and in other situations you shouldn't put a photo. For example you shouldn't put a photo on a CV that will be processed via an Applicant Tracking System. If you're worried about causing a bias, you should be and in our experience an individual who would hold a bias against you because of your photo is not someone you would enjoy working for or would want to work for. In most cases the decision is yours and depends on your long and short term goals.
Photo

It’s good to upload a high-quality photo so that you are no longer just words on a page and this also allows the employer to put a face to the name. Make sure you’re smiling, humans unconsciously respond to smiles and it can affect the psychological state of a person. In terms of personal branding, it is also important to think about what impression you want the photo to give off and what you want to advertise about yourself. Headshots on plain backgrounds are usually considered professional, however, if you are a creative quirky artist a traditional corporate photo of you may not be in alignment with your personal brand. Align your photo with your personal brand.

  • Humanise your document by providing a photo
  • A photo of you smiling is preferred
  • Think about what impression you want this photo to give off
  • Some Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) cannot process photos so be sure to use our ATS Template if you know it will be subjected to this process
Profile Video

Profile videos are a great way to show off your communication skills and personality. Recruiters usually have to wait until interviews to get to see this aspect of you. Make their job easier and get your foot in the door faster by posting up a short introduction video of yourself. You may want to give the viewer a walkthrough of your zygadoc and explain your key capabilities. Another option is to sell them on why you are the best candidate for the job. Whatever you do with your video, the most important thing is that you be yourself!

  • 87% of employers would prefer to have a video introduction of somebody
  • The top criteria recruitment managers use when hiring is your ability to communicate
  • Showcase your communication skills in a short video bio
  • Inject your personality and individuality
Bio (Biography)

This should be a very brief summary of your life that highlights the important and exciting things you’ve done, notable previous experiences and your future ambitions. You could also input some of your personal and professional philosophies. For example “I believe that character integrity is a necessary trait before any meaningful relationship should be pursued”.

In your bio don’t be scared to self-disclose some information. There is a concept called Social Penetration Theory which suggests that the level of self-disclosure between two people is linked to the intimacy of their relationship. Therefore self-disclosing here can allow you and your employer to potentially bond on a deeper level. By following the other tips outlined you can also utilise social proof to enhance your personal brand.

For example: “I would like to get a job in the pharmaceutical industry because ever since I was a kid one of my dreams was to be able to change someone’s life and modern-day medication really does give people their life back”.

You can write this in first person or third person but whichever one you choose make sure you are consistent throughout your bio.

  • Think of this as an executive summary about you. Concisely showcase your unique attributes and highlight your value to anybody reading this.
  • Differentiate yourself. What are your goals and passions?
  • Have you achieved anything significant that will give people confidence in you should they engage your services.
Taglines

If you haven’t realised it yet you are very similar to a business and you need a memorable way for people to remember you and the services that you can provide.

Businesses invest massive amounts of money into developing their brand and a large part of their branding is their slogan. Slogans help people remember what a business does by concisely summing up what the business is about and delivering this message in a memorable way. Apple’s slogan: “Think Different” is a well-known one. Your tagline doesn’t have to be as simplified as that. If you want you can make it a bit more informative, it’s completely up to you. Your tagline can be fluidic in the sense that you can change it to suit your current goals in life. Once you’ve made one it is okay to keep evolving it over time. Give it a go. Be creative.

Example taglines for some professions:

  • Marketer: “Generating mass awareness through psychology based tactics”
  • Accountant “The number one number cruncher in Melbourne”
  • Doctor: “Disease public enemy #1”
  • Entrepreneur: “Two parts creative, three parts hustle”
  • Graphic designer: “The Walt Disney of modern-day graphics”
  • Developer: “<?php echo “Hello World!”;?>”

Tips:

  • Your tagline is like a business slogan.
  • If you had to sum yourself in one easy to remember phrase what would it be?
  • Your tagline is an important puzzle piece of your personal brand

Social Media Chunk

If you haven’t noticed employers check social media these days. You may as well make their job easier. All of your social media contributes directly to your personal brand. We’re giving you the option to show off the social media you want them to see such as your LinkedIn account, business Instagram accounts or professional Facebook business pages. For example, a photographer may use their Instagram account to show off some photos that they are proud of. Other valuable aspects of your social media may be related to how much “followers” or how many “connections” you have. These types of metrics are important to marketing and advertising agencies.

 If there are any other social platforms or online spaces you are active on, integrate them into your social media chunk.

Here’s a pro tip: if there are photos of you half blind skulling a bottle of Grey Goose in the middle of a club at 3 am, make sure those social media accounts are set to private. The type of content you are displaying on social media also gives off impressions about the type of person you are, keep this in mind when you are using these avenues to advertise yourself to employers.

  • Add in any of your social media links that will contribute value to your personal brand
  • Employers will stalk you, it’s the 21st century. If accounts need to be switched to private now is the time to do it.
  • Professional or influential social media accounts that you manage should be added in here.

Education Chunk

Be sure to mention all of your higher educational endeavours including short courses, online modules or university courses. It helps to differentiate yourself from other people. Your unique educational background is a differentiating factor that helps you stand out. Formal education is a form of social proof, which stimulates psychological mechanisms in people’s brains. Personal development is something you should be proud of and demonstrates your enthusiasm, discipline and value.

  • Add in any higher-level education you have participated in.
  • This can be in the form of short courses, online modules or university degrees.
  • The education you have builds your credibility and demonstrates your value.

Experience Chunk

When recruiters look at resumes they like to be able to easily see the key tasks and activities you performed in your previous role. In this section make sure you highlight any important tasks you completed in previous roles in the dot point section. For example, dot points for a marketer may include: “Implemented a national marketing campaign”. A manager may write: “Coordinated the office staff to achieve increased productivity”.

In the job summary, you can elaborate on these key points and provide evidence about how well you performed in them. A way to convince someone of your ability is to use numbers, other metrics or examples of how your work benefited your employer. In this instance, a person may then say “After I had been tasked with coordinating the national marketing campaign sales grew by 47% and I brought in more leads in one month than the last three months of my whole department combined”. This is a psychological hack and is a form of social proof. When people see numbers, metrics and previous examples they are more likely to believe you and will be convinced of your abilities. All of this makes you more employable and the ideal candidate for a job.

  • In the dot-point section summarise the valuable capabilities that you demonstrated in the role. For example a manager may write “Coordinated the office staff to achieve increased productivity”.
  • You can elaborate on these dot points in the summary section for that role.
  • Implement previous examples and metrics to prove yourself.
  • In the job summary section make sure to highlight your achievements for this role.

Quotes Chunk

This one is another hack for you and your resume. There is a thing called the “Multiple Source Effect” which is another way in which you can use social psychology to your advantage and hack an unsuspecting employer. By using three different sources of information in favour of a single argument you can persuade a person to the highest extent. This means that getting three quotes from different people that all draw attention to similar positive attributes about you will generate a persuasive influence on the reader.

For example: If you wanted to demonstrate that you are reliable you may get three quotes from different people that illustrate this. For example:

  1. John, since the day I’ve known him has always been a man of his word, I have employed him before as a result of this and he never let me down.
  2. A while back John and I worked together on an economics project. We achieved outstanding results due to our teamwork and knowing that we could rely on each other.
  3. After spending time with John I realised that one of his biggest strengths was his work ethic and he always understood the value of being reliable.

Alternatively you can use the quote section to sprinkle some quotes throught your zygadoc that really resonate with you and your values.

Tips:

  • Quotes can be used to highlight the messages that resonate with you, providing people with a window into your thoughts
  • Alternatively you may use the quotes chunk to input other people’s feedback about you. Positive comments peppered throughout your zygadoc from old employer’s or colleagues does wonders for your personal brand.

Portfolio Chunk

This is a very flexible chunk that can be used however you like. The portfolio section of your zygadoc allows you to advertise any pictures, videos or PDF documents that contribute value to your personal brand. If you are a graphic designer uploading some of your recent works will definitely help showcase your capabilities to people. However if you are a university student you may want to upload some PDF’s of university work you’ve been working on to give people an idea of what you are capable of.

  • Use this portfolio chunk to upload any media or documentation that can contribute value to your personal brand.
  • For example, if you are a videographer uploading some of your work can give people an idea about your standard of work.
  • If you are a university student you may want to upload PDF’s or other documents you’ve worked on at university to demonstrate your level of understanding and professionalism to people.

References Chunk

Employers will call your references, do their due diligence on them and will seriously take into account the information they provide. This is an important section. Putting in your references gives the hiring manager confidence that you possess the capabilities you say you do. The more reputable these references are, the more “weight” they will have.  Adding in the contact number and email addresses of your references will save potential employers time if they do decide to reach out to them because all of their contact information is conveniently available.

  • Try and find the most reputable references you can, these have more “social weight” behind them.
  • Previous bosses, colleagues and clients can be used.
  • Adding in their contact details can save hiring managers time.

Certificates Chunk

Certificates are another way in which you can differentiate yourself from other people. Not only do they add to your formal education and professional credibility, but they show people that you are willing to put in time, effort and money to do extra-curricular professional development. If you are passionate about something these certificates will provide the evidence. This contributes massive amounts of value to your personal brand. Be sure to list all of the qualifications you have obtained.

  • List any extracurricular certificates or qualifications that you have obtained
  • These contribute value to your personal brand by demonstrating your work ethic, passion and professional development mindset
  • You may want to change the table to reflect other unique qualifications or education you have received. ie Seminar attendance, single units at university, online courses

Achievements Chunk (coming soon!)

Use this chunk to “show-off” any achievements that will contribute value to your personal brand. For example you may have achieved a High Distinction average throughout university; you may have performed extremely well on the  KPI’s that your work set out; or you may have achieved a black belt in karate. Achievements can help you differentiate yourself from others and convey some insightful information about you.

Awards Chunk (coming soon!)

This section is here to help you differentiate yourself from the rest. Be sure to list any extracurricular examples or instances in your life where you demonstrated favourable attributes or were deemed to have high quality abilities that were recognized formally through awards. This also leads to differences in how people perceive you. Certificates and awards generate a form of social proof which can cause changes in the psychology of a person that sees them.