Episode #84: How To Use TikTok To Find Your Next Toy Job
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You know that feeling when you submit a job application but you’re pretty sure no one is going to see it? The process of applying for jobs has become more and more impersonal in the digital age. The personalities of resumes today are defined by the template and type face that was chosen. Well today, the ever-growing social media platform, TikTok has stepped up to the plate to create a more personal hiring experience that can almost ensure your resume gets seen…at least once.
TikTok Resumes ran a pilot program in July of 2021 featuring a site tiktokresumes.com and a hashtag #tiktokresumes that boasted job opportunities from top toy and entertainment companies like Spinmaster and WWE. The platform encouraged the creation of polished TikTok resume videos and facilitated the application submission process. The hashtag TikTok Resumes has almost 300 million views and hopefully the program will return in full force very soon. But until it does, this episode will help you prepare to be an early adopter of the latest revolution in job hunting and recruitment. When you’re ready to learn about the future of the job market, listen in to this episode.
The site is down now, but you can see some screenshots of what it looked like below!
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TikTokResumes | www.tiktokresumes.com
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Azhelle Wade: You were listening to making it in the toy industry episode number 84.
[00:00:05]Well, Hey, there toy people Azhelle Wade here and welcome back to another episode of the toy coach podcast, making it in the toy industry. This is a weekly podcast brought to you by thetoycoach.com Today's episode, it was one of those episodes that is going to open your eyes up to a whole new way of breaking into the toy industry specifically for a corporate toy career. Now, if you're already a toy industry, exac, or if you run a small toy company, stick with me because the lesson in today's episode might inspire a new way for you to find top talent. So today we're going to talk about TikToK resumes. Yup. You heard me, right? I said, TikTok resumes. Now I actually discovered TikTok resumes by accident a few weeks ago. I think I was doing real research or I might've been prepping for my break into toys, master class. And actually I should stop here and I should say.
[00:01:19] If you are looking for tips on how to apply to toy jobs or break into a toy career, head over to breakintotoys.com to take my free master class on how to break into toys and start your toy career. But let's go back to TikTok resumes. Now the TikTok resumes program launched about a month ago in July of 2021, they partnered with companies like Chipotle, target, and they built out a website to hold job postings. Now the hashtag TikTok resumes has almost 300 million views. I know you just might think of TikTok as that social media platform that you spend a little too much time on watching your favorite funny videos or trying to do research and then just wasting time.
[00:02:12] But did you know that TikTok could actually help you land your next toy job or bind your next top toy talent out Tik TOK resumes are this unique weird random opportunity for us to share our personalities and creativity and even professional experience and submit a job application in the most modern way imaginable via a quick snappy hashtagged video on social media.
[00:02:47] Okay. By the end of this episode today, you will know all about Tik TOK resumes. So whether you are looking to hire or be hired, there's a lot to take away from today's episode. I'm going to get into what Tik TOK resumes are. What kind of jobs and companies have posted job opportunities via Tik TOK resumes.
[00:03:07] And then I'm going to give you a great formula for how to make your own TikTok resume. Now, if you happen to own a toy store or work at a corporate toy job, this episode is sure to inspire you or your company to get onboarded with TikTok resumes and start accepting TikTok applications. Okay, let's kick it off with the basics.
[00:03:32] What is a TikTok resume? Well TikTok has already become a great resource for career advice and job information. If you just look up the hashtag careertiktok or careertok you're going to find tons of creators, offering advice on everything from interview questions, to resume writing how to handle awkward situations at work and so much more. Now, presumably seeing that trend TikTok itself created a new feature called Tik TOK resumes. Now officially it launched with tiktokresumes.com in early July for a pilot program that was designed to go until July 31st. So during that time, Well known companies from retailers to toy manufacturers, to clothing companies, posted job opportunities for a variety of roles from cashier to copywriter, to product designer, to recruiter.
[00:04:30] All of those types of positions have been posted on this site. Excepting TikTok resumes as an application. Now as of today, tiktokresumes.com is actually undergoing maintenance presumably for their official launch, but there is no better time to learn what a TikTok resume is and to learn what kind of companies have used the platform so that perhaps you can be an early adapter when TikTok resumes comes back online. You can still search hashtag TikTok resumes, and see some great examples of video resumes by enterprising people from all different industries. Additionally, you'll see that creators on the platform have also started posting job listings under the Tik TOK resumes hashtag. You'll see some people say, you know, come work For lux and they post a short video about a job opening along with reasons why you might want to work for them. So what do you TikTok resumes mean for our generation?
[00:05:32]Now, aside from the job postings, you're going to see on the hashtag TikTok resumes. You're also going to see 30 second resumes. These are resumes where people are sharing their skills, their experience, utilizing the green screen effect that TikTok is famous for, to show visual representation of things that they've accomplished, people that they know and even achievements they've made.
[00:05:57] Let's say if some of their achievements are quantifiable by looking at snapshots of social media platforms that maybe they've managed. Now, what does, what do TikTok resumes mean for our generation? Well, they mean that companies are actually starting to realize that there is more to a job applicant than just their statistics and they want to see it.
[00:06:21] They want to see that more. So TikTok resume is a great opportunity to show off your personality and your creativity. It's a great way for you to really put yourself out there. Companies get a chance to see your face, how you talk, your passion, your professionalism, and so much more. Plus it's a great medium for visual skills and applying for visual jobs.
[00:06:44] You can actually now show physical products that you've worked on or designs that you've made. So let's talk about some of the brands that already tried out. Tik TOK resumes during their pilot program. Those brands include aloe yoga, the NBA and NFL NHL, Shopify, target, spin master and WWE, I think any brand or company that wants to find creative and savvy new applicants, especially those who are savvy with digital media, like Tik TOK could benefit using tiktokresumes.com. Now I know you might think that a Tik TOK resume would only be good for someone who's trying to get some sort of social media job, but companies are actually hiring for all different sorts of positions.
[00:07:34] There are even job openings on Tik TOK resumes for hairstylists. Now, as it relates to the toy industry you can find job listings for product design, project management and more. It is not just for social media experts. In fact, when I was researching before the site went on hiatus, after their pilot launch, I found an amazing job opening on tiktokresumes.com at spin master for a project designer for their preschool line. What?! People are making TikTok resumes for everything from HR, product management, digital art and design, and so much more. Basically, if you can think of it, there's a potential to make a great Tik TOK resume for it. Now, how can you learn more? Well, besides searching the hashtag Tik TOK resumes on the social media platform, you can browse the job listings at tiktokresumes.com Hopefully once they relaunch, you will also find sample videos and information on how to create your own TikTok resume when you look in both of those places. So let's get into like how to make your TikTok resume. So now you're in this Mindset where you're like, okay, I am ready. I'm going to try this thing out.
[00:08:54] I'm going to make my own TikTok resume. Where do I start? This part is gonna sound a little bit basic. So if you're already a TikTok user, you may already know this by the first thing you need is to TikTok account. Once you have that account set up, you need to make sure that your account is available to the public.
[00:09:11] Like all other social networks, Tik TOK has a feature that allows you to make your account private. So only people who follow you can see our videos. However, If you do that, when you're trying to make and post a Tik TOK resume potential employers, won't be able to search that hashtag and see your amazing video.
[00:09:30] Now, another super simple, basic tip to know before you start is never share your personal information, like your address, your email address, or your phone number in your TikTok video. It's okay to put that in your job application, which is private and goes directly to the company. But if you put that in your video, anyone in the world can see and share that information. Some people do use their last name online, and some people don't, it's your own personal decision, whether or not you do, but some experts actually recommend not using your Full name for your Tik TOK resume, but do include it on your job application. So this is also where I believe tiktokresume.com is really gonna come in handy and as they do their rebrand, we'll see how they flush out that site and more.
[00:10:25] I did take a few screenshots of their site before it went down. So I'm going to put those screenshots on my page just so you can get a look at what it used to look like, so head over to thetoycoach.com/84 to check out those screenshots.
[00:10:40]Essentially tiktokresumes.com is going to be the place where you submit. Your resumes directly to a toy company. So I imagine that as they refine and relaunch that site it's, but then it become the more secure place to start sharing things like contact information directly with a company instead of needing to put it on all of TikTok. Now, here are a few other tips for TikTok resumes. One choose a clean background, clean up any clutter behind you before filming your video. This is very much like my past podcast episodes, where I talked about the importance of cleaning up your background, if you're pitching to a toy company. So now if you're pitching yourself for a job toy company or not, you want a clean background.
[00:11:27]Tip number two dress like it's an interview, you know, you can base the formality of your outfit on the company's culture, but when in doubt dress up and just because it's a video, don't think that you don't have to show up and show your best. Tip number three, include captions. It actually makes it a lot easier for people to remember what you said if they see it and hear it. You can also highlight important points in texts with different effects and colors. Now tip number four, not only do you have to make sure that your profile is public, but you also have to make sure that the video is set so that everyone can see it. It's really easy to do this.
[00:12:09] Just select everyone under the who can watch this video option. When you are done filming your TikTok resume. Tip number five, I want you to keep your video up and open to everyone for at least one month to give employers that you sent it to enough time to watch. Tip number six, use music in the background to spice up your TikTok video, but make sure that you keep the volume low enough so that viewers can still hear your voice.
[00:12:41] And finally, tip number seven, I want you to consider a Tik TOK of resume as an elevator pitch. So it's a quick way to get someone's attention. So even though your TikTok can technically be up to three minutes long, keep it interesting to the point short and attention grabbing. This is just the beginning of your conversation with a company. This is not the end. You don't have to say everything in your TikTok resume. So just keep that in mind.
[00:13:09] Now you want to tailor your Tik TOK resume to the position. You want to read the job posting, to find out what is important to the company and make a video that highlights your strengths. Like when you're applying with a resume or portfolio, you might consider making a customized Tik TOK video for each position that you apply for.
[00:13:32]Okay. So we covered some great tips for making your Tik TOK resume video. We know that these videos are short. We know that we've got to communicate a lot of information, but what exactly do we need to communicate? You might be wondering like, okay, Azhelle I've got those great tips. I'm all pumped. I'm interested. I'm intrigued, but I still don't know where to start. Like what. How do I open my Tik TOK resume? What do I put inside of it? What do I put at the end of it? What are the key building blocks of a Tik TOK resume?
[00:14:05] Well, after watching several videos, I did pull out seven key building blocks of what you should and could include in your Tik TOK resume. Now we only have up to three minutes cause that's the length of a Tik TOK video. And depending on your experience and the job you're applying for, you might want to tweak this list.
[00:14:27] But I'm going to break you. I'm going to take you through just what I've seen. What is most commonly included in a TikTok video and in the order that it normally is included in. So typically to kick off your Tik TOK resume you're going to start with a short introduction, five to 10 seconds where you're saying your name, your education, and the position you are applying for.
[00:14:51] After your introduction, you're going to talk about some key achievements or projects you've worked on. You're going to do this for about 30 seconds. Have you won any awards? Have you worked on a really successful projects?
[00:15:04] Have you had an amazing internship at a high profile company? Include all of that really intriguing information first and utilize Tik TOK screen screened feature, which will allow you to super impose your video over a photo other than your real background, so that you can show what you're talking about in real time.
[00:15:25]And when you show what you're talking about in real time, you know, show the company logo show a picture of you winning an award, or working with a team. You really want to give the viewer a visual story, so they understand your background way more in depth than the first line of a resume could ever do.
[00:15:47] Next. You're going to actually start listing your skills. So these are your key skills and remember, like with any job you're and you're listing the key skills that are important to that job posting, so it's going to be about 30 more seconds of listing three or four of your key skills.
[00:16:05]And again, you're going to be using it visuals to go along with each skill using that same green screen feature. For example, if you have product design experience, use an image of one of the products that you designed for that part of the video. If your specialty is social media marketing, use screenshots of the profiles you've managed, or if you're applying for a hairstyling job, like we mentioned, use pictures of your client's hair, the finished work that you've you've created.
[00:16:36] So examples of what you might talk about, you still might not be sure what to talk about. Usually you can pull this information from the job posting, but here's a few examples you might talk about your branding experience. You might talk about your product design experience and granted, all of these are for different jobs.
[00:16:53] Obviously one, one job you'd likely wouldn't have all these things in here. You also might talk about your licensing experience. You might talk about your manufacturing experience. You might also talk about your marketing or PR specialties. Now the one thing I do want to point out here, When you go to share images in your green screen, keep in mind, you know, there are still proprietary images out there for the people that you have worked for.
[00:17:20] So you really want to make sure that the images that you're putting in the back of your green screen are, are images of products that have already come out that, you know, you're allowed to share. Preferably images that you have taken, maybe images of you in them, would it be even better to show the validity of what you're talking about?
[00:17:39] So I want you to keep that in mind, as well as you're showing your proof with the images that you post behind you. Now, after you talk about your key skills, you're going to get into. Your visual portfolio. And again, this isn't going to be for every job, right? Like if you're going for a sales job, you might not have a visual portfolio, but if you're going for a design job, you will, and this will be 10 to 20 seconds where after the skill section, you can actually include a short visual portfolio of your work.
[00:18:07] You don't need to be in it. But you can choose anywhere. Three to five pieces. And they could be digital art sketches, finished products or something else, depending on what your expertise is and the job that you're applying for. And for those, it would be ideal to just show the portfolio work with a voiceover of you explaining what the person is looking at. Usually with portfolio, you want people to focus on the portfolio. So maybe doing a green screen for this bit, wouldn't be the best idea. You really want to give them a chance to absorb the portfolio image, even if just for a few seconds.
[00:18:44] Now after visual portfolio, we're going to get into the hard skills. Hard skills is, is more like the software and the programs that you know, definitively. So this is going to be five to 10 seconds. If you didn't have a visual portfolio in your Tik TOK resume, you could actually expand the hard skill section to that time.
[00:19:05] So this is where you're going to quickly list some definitive skills, like the software programs that you know, how to use, maybe it's solid works, maybe Adobe Photoshop. You're gonna list maybe other languages that you speak and anything else that you think it would be really good to let a potential employer know about that would make you a more attractive candidate for the position.
[00:19:32] Now, after you've shared all your skills and your experience, you're going to dive into your personality, which hopefully has been coming out throughout the entire Tik TOK video. But at the end, if they're still watching, they're really interested. So now we're going to let your personality shine. And for five to 10 seconds, you're going to share something that you've done in your life that you are proud of. Do you have an interesting hobby? Like, are you a salsa dancer? Or do you have a unique sport you like to do like Kickbox, you could even include something about your cute pet.
[00:20:06] This is a way to allow the hiring manager to connect with you. You're Tik TOK resume should be professional, but that doesn't mean that it has to be stuffy. You know, be, be selective about the images that you share. But don't be afraid to show a little bit of your human side. The point of using a Tik TOK resume is to have extra spaces. Show who you are and make a personal connection to the hiring manager to find the job that is right for you. Now we've done it all, everything. And now it's time to end our TikTok resume with a call to action. And it's going to be five seconds Where you're going to end by saying something like looking forward to hearing from you soon, or I'd love to discuss this opportunity with you.
[00:20:53] Just something that encourages the viewer to take some action. So what is so interesting about the Tik TOK resumes is it's, it's really using Just general marketing techniques to get yourself out there. So, I mean the biggest, the biggest thing, you cannot forget from all of those, those building blocks of a Tik TOK resume that I just laid out.
[00:21:16] Of course you need your introduction and of course you need your key achievements, but you must under Every any circumstance you must always, always, always end with a call to action. Your call to action needs to be clear. It needs to sound immediate. I ideally would actually recommend a call to action that's very specific. Send me a message or send me an email. If you've been applying through, let's say they're more protected Tik TOK resumes website, and maybe they have your email through that website. I, your call to action should be specific and clear so that somebody, the person watching knows exactly what to do to get in touch with you and they know that you want them to get in touch with you.
[00:22:05] So now, how are we feeling about Tik TOK resumes? I hope you are feeling inspired and excited to try out making one. I really want you to be in the forefront of this entire movement. And if you are a toy company looking to hire the next big talent I hope you are intrigued in looking into TikTok resumes and how you can get involved with the next launch. If you're a toy coach podcast, insiders club member, and you're listening to this episode, I want you to head over to your private feed because I'm going to dive into a few specific examples and analysis of Tik TOK resumes just for you.
[00:22:44]If you have not already joined the podcast insiders club, it's not too late. Head over to club.thetoycoach.com to check out. Now, before we dive into the conclusion, I know the conclusion already we're here, but before we dive into the conclusion of today's episode, I want to highlight a listener who submitted an amazing review. Today's listener. Spotlight is Olivia, zesty child is the username she posted, but she signed it olivia. Olivia sent in an incredible review of the podcast. Olivia says my favorite podcast Azhelle simply the best the podcast is truly a gift as is so thorough, thoughtful and passionate. And each episode is so informative while also being very fun to listen to the scope of the podcast is really quite amazing.
[00:23:37] Azhelle is so knowledgeable, which I'm really appreciative of as someone who is very new to the toy industry, I feel so inspired and motivated after each episode. I feel like I grow each time I listen very grateful for this podcast. Much love. Well, thank you so much for that review, Olivia, and it's a brand new one, so I'm sure you're going to be surprised that you are on this episode.
[00:24:02] I'd like to invite you and anyone else listening to join the Facebook community for this podcast. Yet there is a Facebook group just search the toy coach podcast, or search making it in the toy industry on Facebook. And you will find the group. And if you love this podcast, you need to be a part. of it So let's conclude what we learned today.
[00:24:23] Today, we learned all about Tik TOK resumes. I told you what they are, why you might want to make one. They are these short videos up to three minutes, but you don't want to go that long. If you don't have to, you can find samples of them under the hashtag on Tik TOK, hashtag Tik TOK resumes.
[00:24:40]And once the site's back up, you can learn more about them at tiktokresumes.com TikTok resumes are just an innovation. I mean, it, they're great way to show your skills and your personality to potential employers.
[00:24:56] You know, I know that resumes can be so hard to read and the process can be so laborists and I believe that TikTok resumes are going to increase the visibility of people applying to jobs, because now for HR managers, it's almost going to be an experience of, you know, scrolling through Tik TOK videos that are fun and engaging and entertaining to find employees instead of flipping through pages and pages and pages of resumes all day long.
[00:25:24]This is just the beginning of how TikTok resumes are going to change the way that we apply for jobs I'm really excited to see how it unfolds. Honestly, we've been seeing a lot of young kids doing it, but I want to see some TikTokresumes from vets in our industry.
[00:25:40] I'm almost tempted to make one for myself, just for the fun. In this episode, I also told you all about how to make a Tik TOK resume including a whole sample template. We had the seven building blocks of what makes a good TikTok resume. And aside from the building blocks, we went through a whole checklist, a checklist where you have to make sure that your account and your video are both set to show publicly. We want to make sure we're not sharing personal, identifying information in the video. And we want to make sure that your background, an outfit look the part. So that means cleaning up your background, cleaning up your outfit and make sure to include information about your skills, your experience, and consider adding a personal touch, like your hobbies.
[00:26:26]Finally for my toy coach podcast insiders, we analyze a few TikTok resumes to give you some inspiration. If you are interested in being a part of the podcast insiders club, head over to club.thetoycoach.com Okay, let's get down to our action item for the week toy people. Are you ready to take on Tik TOK resumes? If you are, I want you to write out an outline for your TikTok resume, and I want you to send me a message on Instagram, that's where I hang out the most. When you're done, you can tag me in a story about you getting your outline done. If you want to take a photo or a video, I will respond. I will cheer you on and I may share it. If you do go a step further and you make a Tik TOK resume, I want you to shoot me a message and share it with me. Okay. I am on Tik TOK as at the toy coach. So share it with me. If you also choose to post it on Instagram, tag me there. Since I spent a lot of time there, I'd love to give you a round of applause.
[00:27:29] Maybe share your resume. Now as always, thank you so much for spending this time with me today. I know your time is valuable and that there are a ton of podcasts out there. So it means the world to me that you tune into this one until next week. I'll see you later toy people .
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