Let’s talk about a trend that could cost you your next job.
Most of my recent grad clients get a lot of career advice from TikTok, and, while some of it is genuinely good, the majority is questionable at best. The same goes for Reddit, YouTube, and Instagram.
In this guide, I’ll share 3 common but misleading TikTok career tips and show you how to determine if career advice from social media influencers is legit.
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Common TikTok Career Tips to Avoid
Whenever I ask my younger clients where they get interview, resume, and career advice, 9 out of 10 times, they’ll bring up TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram.
I get it — social media is great for connecting with employers and career coaches.
But not everyone has your best interests at heart.
Let’s go over 3 trending career and interview tips and why you shouldn’t follow them.
Adding “invisible ink” keywords to your resume
This is a “resume hack” that influencers are selling and getting millions of views. They’re saying that you can hack the ATS and hiring managers if you copy-paste the responsibilities and requirements from the job description to your resume, then make the text white so that it’s invisible to the human eye.
@jerryjhlee #stitch with @user5305548256135 don’t do this on your resume okay?
Why is this bad?
This is unethical, deceptive, and misleading. It misrepresents your qualifications and experience, and can harm your credibility and reputation. If you’re discovered, you’d be disqualified and flagged immediately. Even if you pull it off once, long-term you’ll be doing yourself a disservice, especially if you don’t have the necessary skill set and qualifications in reality.
Going against your passions and interests when choosing a career
According to another viral TikTok video, when choosing your career, you should only look at industries that are going to grow the most and where you’ll be making the most money.
@grantcardone Which Careers Are The Best Right Now
Why is this bad?
This advice is not terrible if you really don’t know what you want to do after school. However, keep in mind that you’ll spend half of your life, a third of your day, each day, in the career you choose. Does it make sense to spend all that time doing something you dislike or aren’t naturally good at, for the sake of money?
Of course we should be mindful of trends and consider the financial aspect of a job, but it makes little sense to choose a career just because it pays well. You’ll still make more money if you pursue something you actually want to do instead of something you don’t care about. Otherwise, you’ll end up burned out and frustrated.
Asking “Do you have any reservations about hiring me?” at the end of the interview
I’ve seen dozens of TikTok influencers advising this, saying how this question will give the interviewer the opportunity to give you honest feedback while also giving you the chance to learn what you need to improve.
@armanifountain Here’s a great question you can ask at the end of your job interview to see if they think you’re a good fit for the position 💎 #LearnOnTikTok #careertiktok #interviewprep #armanigems
Why is this bad?
This advice has become popular and that’s why you see more creators sharing it. The general idea of giving yourself a last chance to sell yourself is good, but there are better ways to do this. When you ask this, you’re putting the interviewer on the spot. It may be the end of the interview, but you can’t expect them to have made up their minds about you. Even if they had, they would not share it. I find this advice so annoying that I had to make a video about it (the irony doesn’t escape me). Check it out to learn what better questions you can ask the interviewer.
How to Evaluate Career Advice from Social Media Influencers
Anyone can make a TikTok and gain a following if they’re good at creating video content. And algorithms are made to prioritize users’ interests, not factual information. When everyone can say anything, how can you be sure that the tips are correct?
Remember, a large online following doesn’t equal expertise.
Anyone can slap a Career Coach title on their bio or LinkedIn profile, but that doesn’t mean you should trust them.
Here’s how to tell if someone’s advice is legit:
- Fact-check the person. Are they a career coach, HR, TA, recruiter, hiring manager, or anything that could qualify them to give career advice? Even if they are qualified, check for how long.
- Fact-check the advice. Google the advice, and compare the information that’s provided by multiple credible and reputable sources to ensure consistency and accuracy. If the advice seems like a common practice, it’s probably legit.
- Practice critical thinking. Challenge everything you read online, especially if the poster offers no evidence or doesn’t mention the source of the information. Question why that advice would benefit you. How does it apply to your situation? Keep in mind that not all information available online is accurate. Just because it’s relatable doesn’t mean it’s reliable.
Summary of the Main Points
- TikTok is a popular place for Gen Z and Millenials to look for career advice — from interview tips and resume writing to how to handle a job offer and negotiate a raise.
- You shouldn’t rely only on social media for career advice because very little of it comes from qualified professionals. Some of it is not only wrong, but can also be damaging to your career.
- Anyone can make a TikTok and gain a following if they’re good at creating video content.
- Social media algorithms are made to prioritize popular content without any fact-checking.
- It’s common for content creators to copy and recycle each other’s posts. This is dangerous because you’ll run into the same advice by multiple creators and may believe it because everyone’s saying it.
- To check if a social media career expert is legit, look them up online and see if there’s anything that qualifies them to give such advice.
- Don’t rely solely on one source. Cross-check the advice from socials against reputable sources like academic research, industry experts, or recognized authorities in the field.
If you have any advice that you’d like me to verify, send it over to me on Linkedin.
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