employeeze

The first thing to understand is that social networks require you to be *social*. That means reaching out to other people and building a community. In the context of a job search, this is going to mean finding other like-minded professionals as well as decision makers that may be able to help you. Those decision makers can be hiring managers, recruiters, executives and even well-respected professionals with persuasive abilities.

Building a network takes time, but it also necessitates reciprocity. Not only do you build a network to seek help, you must also be willing to share information and help out others. And, social networking used in conjunction with live meetings can be a powerful tool.

I’ve been a member of LinkedIn for years, and have successfully used it for recruiting. Not only for generating candidates directly, but also for getting referrals from my networks. And, I also generally will forward requests as long as they aren’t blatant sales pitches aimed at my network. I have grown my 550+ network one person at a time; I don’t believe in accepting every invitation just to have them.

I’ve had a Facebook profile for several years. Interestingly, I started it because I have a lot of personal ties to Toronto, ON and at the time TO had the largest network of any major city on earth. Since then, Microsoft got involved with a major stake in the company and my network exploded with all the MSFT folks I know joining. I’ve used it extensively to reconnect with HS and University acquaintances I have lost track of over the years, and it is fun to see what people are doing.

In the last few weeks I’ve started “microblogging” on both FB and Twitter. Microblogging is useful for posting short updates about yourself. I’m using Twitter more as a marketing tool, and FB to let people know what is going on in my life. (In fact, I’ll post a “tweet” and FB update on them both when I’ve posted this blog. It generates traffic and expands my reputation and expertise.)

The problem with social networking is *too many choices*. Where to post, what to post, who to invite/accept invites from. And, with sites like Facebook and MySpace that are definitely more “social” as versus professional in nature, it can be a fine line keeping your life transparent yet still letting people know what you are doing. I have a very personal blog where I post things like my romantic highs and lows, rants, and everyday happenings. I only send the link to close personal friends, or people find it and become interested in my life.

I’ve already stated how surprising it is to me when recruiters let their professional networks lapse; the same is true for any profession. Even if you only attend one or two Professional Association meetings per year, it helps to keep your network up. Instant Messenger applications are also helpful. Last night I jumped on the FB application and had a conversation with someone I helped with her resume, and someone I met a few years ago at a career panel; she ended up helping me with a business analysis for Employeeze. But keeping those connections up has helped me to stay connected; in decades gone by, my long distance phone bill reflected my commitment to keeping up my network.

So, how to leverage social networks for a job search? Beyond the obvious of finding connections that can be of help to you also think about using them to *broadcast* your expertise. I started on the LinkedIn answers section, and am now considered an “Expert” in areas such as recruiting and resume writing. When I ask questions, they are thoughtful and phrased in such a way as to elicit response are given from people that see me as a peer rather than someone with no business sense whatsoever. On Twitter, I post articles of interest, and answer questions from people on subjects like recruiting and writing, and I post announcements for jobs I am recruiting for. Remember, you want your posts/communications to be *professional* and not desperate.