There is a dearth of PR and marketing candidates with the necessary understanding of social media, according to data from creative marketing recruiter Major Players.

The data shows that candidate CVs, for jobs across different levels, lack even a cursory mention of social media buzzwords, such as ‘blogging’ or ‘Twitter’.  

In the last two years, out of a sample of 4,500 CVs, just 6% reference ‘social media’, 9% mention Twitter, and only 2% talk about blogging, while 13% include ‘Facebook’ (though in some this was merely highlighted in the ‘interests’ section).

The data also shows that only 4.7% of CVs s include the term ‘SEO’ (Search Engine Optimisation).

Lorraine Barker, head of PR at Major Players, says: “Candidates need to recognise the importance of social media and how potential employers will increasingly require a clear level of understanding in this area “In the last couple of years there’s been a definite shift in the way PR and marketing professionals enable brands to reach their audiences, and our clients demand talent that understand this.  Putting a LinkedIn or Twitter address, or even personal blog details, on a CV will show employers that candidates are engaging in social media in some way.”