Improving Your Job Search Through Social Networking

With every generation, the methods of networking change. In light of the booming technological age, social networking websites like Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter have become as common a means of communication as cell phones and email.   Social networking sites, particularly the current world-wide phenomenons Facebook and Twitter, have streamlined ways to find old friends, communicate through email and instant messaging, and share everything from music, pictures, and information with everyone you know through the click of a mouse. There are infinite possibilities to share information, including where you work, and who you know.  Between current economic conditions and the technological evolution of the Internet, the traditional approach most job seekers have taken in the past is no longer viable. Modern job seekers are realizing that these sites offer ways to electronically network with people who could provide valuable insight and connections to potential employers.

Increasing numbers of unemployed professionals and their prospective employers are quickly catching on. According to one recent survey by the PR firm Burson-Marsteller, an astonishing 54 percent of Fortune 100 companies are now using Twitter and another 29 percent have an active Facebook page. Not only can you connect with other people who can offer valuable advice, you can also connect directly with potential employers.  “If you’re a really good networker and you use the social media sites like Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter, you can develop relationships and get in the know,” says Sarah Needleman, a Wall Street Journal reporter.  People can use social networking sites to research companies of interest.  For example, “If there are particular companies you’re looking for, see what their feed is on Twitter and look for job postings that way,” says Needleman.

Companies are realizing that they can tap into a broad network of undiscovered talent. LinkedIn, a site specifically catering to business networking, now boasts to have profiles for more than 30 million professionals around the world. In addition, corporate recruiters are scouring professional networking sites like LinkedIn to search for the most appropriate candidates through references and recommendations. With the awareness of how crowded the job market is, and the enormous demand for the limited jobs available, some people feel they should only apply with a company if they feel they have a possible “in”. These sites are a great way to become as insightful as you can about the company through their employees and resources before the application process. Robert Half, a staffing firm that specializes in financing, polled 150 senior executives from the country’s 1,000 largest companies. “It still is quite challenging to find qualified workers,” said Kami Schneiderman, a Minneapolis-based regional vice president for Robert Half. LinkedIn “is a good way to tap into additional contacts.” A candidate identified through networking “tends to be a stronger candidate than a blind job seeker,” Schneiderman said. It is also a way for employers to effectively lessen the work to find suitable candidates. “It is common knowledge today that [human resources] people collect résumés in databases that take them forever to pull up the candidates,” said Lisa Hendrickson, manager of LinkedIn Minnesota. “A hiring manager does not want to go through a database of 200 applications. They will, but they don’t want to. They would rather know someone who knows someone.” That is exactly what these sites provide; the ability to bridge the gap between personal references and recommendations, research, and communication between job seekers and their future position.

Although social networking can be a powerful and useful tool, it can do damage if misused. Job seekers must correctly understand how to use this tool, which means knowing what not to include in their networking profiles. For instance, never post anything about yourself online that you would not want an employer to see. MRI Network is a prominent national recruiting firm, and MRI president Tony McKinnon offers these words of wisdom regarding social networking; “Ignore requests from people you don’t know,” McKinnon advises. “They could hurt your job hunt… Recruiters routinely screen out job applicants based on what they find on the Web”.  Don’t accept every invitation you receive on every site, and think before you accept. “Recruiters also judge you by the company you keep,” McKinnon says.

With a little knowledge, care, and judgment, social networking can be a very useful tool to aid in the seemingly infinite job search. The job search process has evolved beyond faxing resumes to strangers, and is starting to take on a more personal approach for both applicants and hiring managers. It can save time for the employer, and increase knowledge and understanding of the desired position and company for the job seeker. Used correctly, the various social networking mediums available can effectively match workers and employers in a personal way to usher in a brighter future for both sides of modern business.

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