Why do you need to spend time on social networking for any reasons other than purely social activities? Employers are actively using social networking sites to recruit candidates for employment and they are also using social media to check out applicants.
In fact, surveys report that almost 90% of companies are currently recruiting through social media and social recruiting by employers is only going to increase.
Social Job Searching
If you don't have a social media presence, you'll be at a disadvantage in this competitive job market. A strong social presence can boost your candidacy and help ensure you will be found by recruiters and hiring managers.
Conducting a social job search, in addition to traditional job searching using job search engines and job boards, and keeping your networking site profiles up-to-date will ensure that it's quick and easy for you to apply for jobs online and will promote your candidacy - and your expertise - to prospective employers.
Apply Directly
In addition, employers are increasingly accepting applications direction from networking sites. For example, you can apply for jobs on many company websites with your LinkedIn profile. Monster's Facebook App, BeKnown, enables job seekers to apply for jobs via Facebook using their BeKnown profile which is used as a resume.
How to Get Started
If you haven't used social networking sites for anything other than connecting with your friends and family on Facebook, don't worry and don't try to create a social media presence all at once. Instead, do it one site at a time and take it a step at a time.
LinkedIn is the best site to start with because it's "the" go to site for professional networking and hiring.
You can then use your LinkedIn profile to build professional profiles on other sites. For example, copy the relevant information from your LinkedIn profile into your BeKnown profile.
Prioritize Your Time
As I mentioned, start with LinkedIn. Consider using BeKnown to create a professional profile on Facebook because it's totally separate from your personal Facebook. Then decide whether it's a good use of your time to use Twitter, Google+ and some of the other apps and networking sites for job searching.
How much social networking you do depends on the time you have, the jobs you are interested in, and your career field. You don't have to do everything just because it's there. The best plan is to balance your time so you're covering all the job search bases effectively.
Begin Job Search Social Networking
- Get Started on LinkedIn
- Join the About.com Job Search LinkedIn Group
- Use the BeKnown Facebook App
- Use More Facebook Job Search Apps
- Start Using Twitter
- Get Started With Google+
Be Available
Given the instantaneous communications available online today, it's important to stay connected and to respond in a timely manner (within 24 hours, if possible) to inquiries and messages. To be sure you are notified:
- Include your email address, phone number, and LinkedIn profile in your email signature and on your resume.
- Cross link your social networking profiles. For example, link your Twitter profile from your LinkedIn profile.
- Set your profiles so you're notified by email of new messages.
- Check your email frequently.
- Check your social networking sites regularly.
- Respond as soon as possible to inquiries from hiring managers.
- If you have a smartphone, use it to manage your email and networking sites, so you don't have to get to your computer to check.
Social Job Searching
