The term “social networking” is increasingly appearing in job postings

What if when you asked students and new grads to apply for meaningful, entry-level jobs at your company, you expected them to list their Facebook, Twitter and other online profiles at the top of their resume next their address, email address and phone number?

Not necessarily so you could spy on their personal lives, but so you could see how capable and connected they are with social media and networking.

Well, according to American job search engine Indeed.com, it’s slowly becoming a reality. Exact figures aren’t available, but the site’s job trends section shows the term “social networking” has been appearing exponentially in job postings since 2005, when the number of times it appeared was virtually zero.

Searching for “social media,” a synonymous term, reveals a similar trend. Although less prevalent, even the words “Facebook” and “Twitter” have been gaining momentum in job postings in the last year or so.

A recent example of this in practice is the Nestlé USA Butterfinger FUNternship opportunity. To apply, potential FUNterns are required to submit:

• Resume:
  • Include experience with various software (photo and video editing programs an important plus)
  • Links to all your social media pages (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Linked-in, etc). More than 200 Twitter followers and Facebook friends a must, and more than 1,000 is preferred)
  • Proof of your birthdate to demonstrate that you are 18 or older (proof of U.S. citizenship or work eligibility must be available, if requested)
• A 100-word “cover letter” that is a Tweet-peek at yourself… tell us about your passion for Butterfinger and unwrap your personality!

Now, I’m not super-connected by any means, but I currently have 261 friends on Facebook and 131 followers on Twitter. A quick look at some of my friends who are avid users (but not “celebrities”) reveals anywhere from 300 to more than 1,000 friends on Facebook, and hundreds of followers on Twitter. If they were U.S. citizens they would qualify for the FUNternship and would probably be knowledgeable enough about social networking to be able to leverage their connections and market Butterfinger to the extent the job requires.

And although this particular opportunity may mean spamming friends, family and acquaintences with updates about a chocolate bar on a daily basis, it’s an interesting example of how Gen Y can turn something that is often seen as a negative skill (checking Facebook and Tweeting during work hours still a no-no at most companies) into a valuable and marketable skill which they can be hired for.

In the Butterfinger case, FUNterns will be paid just over $11US per hour (and receive a year’s supply of Butterfingers).

Are social networking skills something you can see yourself adding to the job description for entry-level positions at your company?