Have you considered social networking in your job search?

There’s no mistaking that social media is here to stay.  Just about everyone has experience or exposure to it, either through their own activities, their children's involvement, or a colleague or friend.  Assumedly, you've heard of at least several facets of Social Media outlets (this includes both social and professional networking) like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Spoke.  While historically considered merely a tool for social and professional networking, employers and candidates are now finding additional utility from these programs to create recruitment networking value.  In addition, other internet-based outlets are becoming increasingly popular as networking and recruitment tools.  These include: blogs, organization and association discussion forms,  and "behind-the-scenes" programs offering customized utility for social networking sites such as Tweetjobs.net, and more.

Not all employers get it…yet!

Don’t make the false assumption that you're late to the game in taking advantage of these initiatives.  Cultural shifts in social media are just beginning to be surveyed, quantified, and analyzed.  Consider the following observations from Spherion's Emerging Workforce Study:

• Employees are driving the evolution of social media in job searching - not employers
• They're placing greater importance on the job search experience (demand greater transparency of company's culture through blogs, mini-blogs, chat rooms, etc.; they feel corporations need to create and control their on-line reputation and brand - or the candidates will)
• Currently only about 24% of employers have a social networking strategy; of the 24%, only 33% feel it's currently successful and only 22% use social media to recruit new talent
• Usage breaks down as follows (LinkedIn participation - 23%; Corporate Blog - 16%; Company Facebook profile - 14%; Viral Video marketing/recruitment - 7%; Corporate MySpace profile - 6%; Second Life presence - 1%; Other - 16%)

That being said, external recruiters (agencies, RPO firms, talent consultants, etc.) ARE recognizing the enormous value social media plays to identify talent and develop candidate profiles which they can then link to key positions at their clients.  They are well ahead of most employers in these techniques which is how they hope to maintain a competitive edge over corporate recruiting functions in finding candidates otherwise impossible to find using more traditional methods (it's how they maintain their value and continue to drive fees).  To that end, knowing how these agents are using social media will enable you to be in the right places and utilize these tools appropriately and to your advantage to "stay in the driver's seat" in your career search.  Ready to get started?  Let's have some fun...

Spread your Virtual Value

Most agents start their identification of potential job-seekers using the professional networking sites (LinkedIn, Spoke, Xing, etc.).  You should visit these sites and determine which (or possibly all) you'd like to participate in.  Don't settle for simply inputting your basic data - be as comprehensive as possible.  Remember, these agents are often using key-word searches to identify people for specific jobs so utilize key words and concepts in describing your professional experience to make sure you're turning up in the right search results.  Also, search these sites for "added functionality" - discussion forms, groups, etc.  Some companies (and a large number of agents) are posting jobs in these areas that you won't find anywhere else.  They're actually limiting their searches to individuals who know how to use these sites so if you're not in the space, you've already lost.  It's also important that you participate in discussions (or mini-blogs) on these sites as it will showcase your expertise, opinions, ideas, and views of the world which these same individuals are using to build a profile on your set of experiences.  If you're commenting on best-practices, recommendations, this becomes in essence your "social resume" and helps potential employers see how you demonstrate your expertise in the virtual world and if you're a "knowledge-sharer" or "knowledge-blocker", collaborative and consultative or just not participating, etc.

Next, these agents will review the social networking sites (Ziggs, Spoke, Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger) which include a whole host of blogs and forums.  These are usually visited to follow-up on leads already identified through other means (the professional networks above, name generation, etc.).  As an example, someone conducting a search for a Flexible Scientist might stumble upon an article through GoogleSearch describing "flexible packaging in the food industry".  From there, they'll take the author's name and plug it into Blogger to research this person along with the other individuals commenting on this article (likely also Flexible Scientists) in a forum.  The agent will compile the names and contact information of these individuals and then contact them directly through that social networking site.  Alternatively, someone who doesn't respond to an InMail through LinkedIn (the email channel within LinkedIn) can still be contacted by visiting their Facebook page and identifying alternative contact information (phone number, email address, etc.)  Participating in these blogs and discussion groups can increase your visibility and even uncover additional job opportunities as more companies get on the band wagon and implement these techniques.  Want to find some blogs that make sense for you??  Go to Google and in the search bar type inurl:blogspot and follow that with keywords relevant to your professional area (e.g., HR, Film Production, etc.).  Use the results to visit some blogs and determine which might be right for you.

Additionally, consider using your social media page (example: Facebook) to capture some of your professional accomplishments and overall cultural identity.  Many people upload a video introduction through YouTube and then place it on their Facebook page or upload PowerPoint documents and other materials showcasing their intellectual capital.  They also participate in Facebook groups to increase exposure, network both socially and professionally, and survey potential employers.  The resources on these sites are strong and only grow stronger.

Research your Targets

In much the same way that job seekers are utilizing social media, employers are starting to come around as well.  Many companies are developing Facebook Workplace Networks much like a corporate intranet site (these are usually limited to individuals with a company-sponsored email address) along with public Facebook Corporate Pages where they utilize "Discussion Boards" and "The Wall".  The discussion boards are where they attract members of the targeted community by showcasing the company's attractive features, challenging positions, and company news.  The Wall is a venue to say hello to the community and begin establishing these connections.  They also offer job advice about the targeted region.  These are excellent sources of information on the culture, the job opportunities, and the vision and mission of these organizations.  Many other employers are utilizing three of the four types of Networks within Facebook (Regional, Workplaces, Colleges - the fourth is High Schools) to post jobs and list on-line job fairs, etc.

Twitter, though not as comprehensive, is developing more and more resources to connect employers and employees.  You'll find an increasing number of companies dropping "tweets" regarding specific job opportunities with attached URL links to additional requisition data and application procedures.  The key is being connected to these target companies through Twitter and setting alerts to receive job-related information.  An alternative is using a site solution such as Tweetjobs.net to minimize the busy work.

Have some fun!

This is probably the most important advice I can give.  There's an entire universe growing and evolving on-line with limitless touch-points that is literally connecting millions of people through social, professional, and cultural outlets.  Consider the following:

• Facebook currently has 300 million active users; their fastest growing demographic are people over the age of 35; every day, 30 million people become fans of new pages; 65 million users are connecting to Facebook through mobile devices; currently 70% of active Facebook users reside outside the US (it's not just a domestic job tool)
• the number of text messages sent and received daily exceeds the total global population
• To reach a target market of 50 million people, it took radio 38 years; TV took 13 years; the internet 4 years; iPod 3 years; Facebook took less than 2 years and then doubled that number less than 6 months later
• There were approximately 133 million blogs at the end of 2008 (tracked by Technorati)
• American internet users watch 12.7 billion on-line videos each month
• 120,000 marriages occur annually from on-line dating (imagine how many jobs are filled through on-line services??)

I hope this information is helpful as you consider Social Media.  As with many things pertaining to our wireless world, the information is constantly changing and refreshing and much of what was reported here will likely be old news in several short months.  The beauty of the on-line environment is the power of information and knowledge-sharing taking place in these social networks so take comfort.  As you experiment and build your network,  your new on-line friends will delight in keeping you updated on the latest and greatest in functionality and best-practices.

Happy Hunting!!!