Tips for Using Social Networks in a Job Hunt

Are social networks the best place to find a job?

Ultimately the best way to find a job is through networking, and in the current recession where the number of job-hunters is increasing every day, people who are looking for a job need to be resourceful and creative. Looking through the employment section of the newspaper or searching job postings online are no longer the most efficient and productive methods for finding a job.

Social networking is at the top of mind for people of all ages in all professions. Everyone is talking about it, and taking your networking skills online and using social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Jobster can only increase the results of your job search.
Social networking sites provide numerous benefits and tools to increase your personal brand recognition. LinkedIn is a network of 40 million professionals, 200 million active users are on Facebook and Twitter has more than 11 million accounts.

People on a job search can use each of these sites in a different way to reach the same goal. By establishing accounts and relationships on various social networking sites, you can reach a larger and more diverse audience.

LinkedIn is the most popular site for professional networking. This site provides members access to everyone in their personal network and everyone your connections know as well. When building your profile you can include an online resume that lists your experience, skills, a title and even tags that relate to your industry of expertise. The tags you list become useful when recruiters conduct a general search using keywords specific to your industry. Another tool LinkedIn offers is the Box.net tool that allows you to post documents for online portfolio. Joining industry groups is another way to develop your credentials and display your expertise in the industry. Some of the other benefits LinkedIn provides include:

• search through available jobs posted by employers which are high quality and professional
• request recommendations from previous colleagues and employers that can boost your resume
• request to be contacted about job opportunities

Facebook is similar to LinkedIn, but tends to be more popular among younger generations as a tool for job-hunters. The site originated as a social networking site for friends and family, and it more informal than LinkedIn. One suggestion for utilizing Facebook for a job search is to join groups where you can network and build relationships with other people in your field of interest. You can use your participation in these groups to build your credibility by offering useful information and opinions about trends or timely news issues. It is important to note that even if you are not using Facebook for your job search, you should ensure that your profile is employer-friendly.

Twitter is different because it gives you an opportunity to connect with people you do not know but who are interested in similar topics, industries, are located in your area, etc. by using the search tool. There are several recruiters, companies and industry organizations that use Twitter to post available jobs, including TweetMyJobs which sends automatic updates about job openings. By following these people and building a relationship through Twitter, you may have the opportunity to inquire about new positions and hiring. Twitter relationships are built on trust and conversations. If you are constantly updating your Twitter feed with information about your job search, your followers will be made aware and can offer suggestions, referrals and tips on where to look next.

Jobster is a networking site that allows you to connect directly with employers who are offering jobs. As a member of this network, you can upload a resume, embed a video resume, showcase links to other Web sites, upload a picture and tag industry specific skills. The site also offers a search tool that allows you to search for open positions and connect to the person who posted the position for more information.

While there are great sites that are solely dedicated to posting and searching for jobs, for examples Monster, Career Builder, Simply Hired and more, many of those sites have a fee attached. More companies are moving in a different direction and are posting job positions to their own Web sites and free online social networks before utilizing job search sites. If you are serious about your jobhunt then there is no reason you should not already be online using these social networks.