Whether you’re a freelancer, an unemployed professional, or if you’re considering quitting your job in search of a new one, social networking may be the ticket to finding the new career of your dreams. Never before have so many professional people gathered in one medium, chatting it up in the world’s largest online water cooler. By using social networking to your advantage, you can build your brand, hobnob with the right people, and get the word out that you’re in the market for a new position. That’s right, social networking isn’t just for teenagers and wasting your time on Farmville. Instead, you can leverage your social networking time all the way to a higher-paying career.
Facebook is one social networking site that most people already know how to use. If you have an existing Facebook account, you can start networking here, but you need to be prepared to set up accounts for more professional sites as well. While you may be able to find a job on Facebook, and it is a good way to get the word out that you’re looking, the site is primarily used for networking with friends, family, and college buddies. It can be a good way to leverage the connections you already have, but may not be ideal for forming new ones.
Twitter is an easy social networking site to get set up with. It only takes a few minutes to set up an account, and before you know it you can be following people all over the world. Even better, you can be networking with industry leaders, those offering marketing advice, entrepreneurs, your favorite authors, and more. Conversation on twitter is limited to 140 characters at a time, but is extremely social. If you decide to set up a twitter account, be prepared for the fast flowing conversational stream. You may want to use an extra piece of software on your computer to manage your twitter stream, such as HootSuite, TweetDeck, or another program of your choice. These programs make it easy to see just the conversations that are relevant to your interests, so that you can maximize your social networking time.
LinkedIn is a social networking site devoted to business users. The site allows businesses to post job listings and allows individuals to post their resumes. In addition you can list your qualifications, network with professional connections, introduce yourself to new connections, and generally showcase your skills. LinkedIn is an excellent site for professional social networking, especially for those looking for a job using the internet as a tool. Whether you’re looking for an online job or a job with a brick-and-mortar business, you should have a LinkedIn account in your toolbox. Be sure to fill out your profile completely and provide examples of your work if applicable.
Google + is relatively new to the social networking scene, launching in the summer of 2011. However, the site shows great promise for professional users, as it restricts users to registering only with their given name, and keeps all friend connections private. This means that you can network with anyone you see fit, without other members of your social network being able to see these connections. If you are currently employed but looking for a new job using the internet, this may be the right social network for you. You can protect your privacy while making the new connections that you may need to find the perfect job for you.
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