In these tough economic times, the Internet can be a useful tool to assist in a job search. In many instances, online job hunting has replaced perusing through the newspaper want ads to find that elusive open position.
A significant addition to the Internet is social media. Also known as social networking sites, they have become professional tools which a job candidate can use to display work history and skill sets.
Most job-related social network sites are targeted to the professional and are heavily used within the business community. They enable each job candidate to post a professional profile, and many allow a photo. In addition, job candidates can invite a network of contacts to join in order to keep up to date on what each other are doing, and to share business and job referrals. LinkedIn, for example, includes a job board.
Sharese Dudley, Director of Career and Placement Services at Indiana University Northwest, states that Career Services at IUN use social media extensively.
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“Yes, we do encourage students and alumni to use social media as part of their job search strategies,” Dudley says. “We also tell them that it is important to join a social networking professional group or organization and use it regularly.”
Why are social network sites a good idea?
Volume. FaceBook has 115,000,000 registered users who can read a professional profile. Linkedln has 25,000,000 registered users, and MySpace hosts a whopping 430,000,000 registered users. That is a lot of potential readers for a resume.
These social sites are also great places to find former friends and co-workers. Job candidates can communicate within a network about the progress of the job search campaign.
Fran Liontakis, Branch Manager for Robert Half International, believes an online profile can be an advantage to a job candidate.
“Job candidates who have a strong profile on LinkedIn can increase their chances of being found by recruiters,” Liontakis says. “A strong profile includes a brief biography, as well as work history information and jobs the candidate is interested in. Candidates should make sure their profiles are as complete as possible to have the best chance of being found on LinkedIn.”
Meetup.com, is a valuable social networking site for the list of local meetings it sends out regularly. A job candidate may have to search through a lot of meetings to find the ones truly applicable to their job search campaign, but the site can be insightful and helpful.
Some social networking sites are more business-oriented than others, and job candidates need to think about that when building professional profiles to network.
“Sites like MySpace and FaceBook are definitely more geared towards the social scene,” says Shelly Robinson, Director of Career Services at Purdue University Calumet. “We encourage LinkedIn for job candidates who want to utilize networking sites to get ahead in their careers. When used correctly, these sites can open doors to jobs that are not posted to the masses.”
Robinson’s point is that a social website can provide a job candidate with a positive Internet presence. It also can demonstrate that the job candidate is technically savvy, an important quality when job hunting and/or career changing.
For professionals who already have a job, and for those who are considering a career move, social media can supplement traditional networking methods. They don’t replace them, but they offer new opportunities alongside them.
The Times Media Group hosts a social media site at http://my.nwi.com. My.NWI.com is a civic social network for people, groups and businesses located in the greater Northwest Indiana area. The aim is to foster a local community dedicated to discussion and expression.
“My.NWI.com goes beyond the closed loop of other social networking sites,” says Chris Loretto, Director of Interactive Media & Product Development for the Times. “Our site connects individuals and businesses across Northwest Indiana and beyond. A job candidate could potentially research local companies, and become a fan of businesses to receive updated information and directly interact with them.”
Ultimately, what job candidates interested in social media networking need to remember is that business doesn’t exist only online or face-to-face. Technology is part of everyday business and there are people behind those profiles.
“We encourage our students and alumni to create a profile page,” Dudley says. “Many employment opportunities have resulted from networking with online professional organizations.”
Robinson said that PUC offers tips through her department to those about to interact online.
Social network sites that can help the job search:
My NWI : http://my.nwi.com/community/home.htm
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedIn.com
BrightFuse: http://www.brightfuse.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com
Plaxo: http://www.plaxo.com
Meetup: http://www.meetup.com
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com
The Times Media Group hosts a social media site at http://my.nwi.com. My.NWI.com is a civic social network for people, groups and businesses located in the greater Northwest Indiana area. The aim is to foster a local community dedicated to discussion and expression.
My.NWI.com is a social network for people, groups and businesses located in the greater Northwest Indiana area. It goes beyond the closed loop of other social networking sites connecting individuals and business across Northwest Indiana and beyond. A job seeker could potentially research local companies, become a fan of businesses to receive updated information and directly interact with them, according to Chris Loretto, Director of Interactive Media & Product Development.
