Social networking : get the rules right to get right job
Despite the notoriety gained by some social networking sites for hacking, identity theft and viruses, online communities and social networking are here to stay. Social networks are starting to become part of the tools that both job searchers and hiring managers are using to track potential candidates. Not just background checks but even large scale recruitments are made using networks on these sites.
These days, it is common to find people hired via jobs posted on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter by someone they follow or someone who is following them. These networking sites offer a great way to build a huge database of contacts, are a great way to stay in touch with old colleagues and friends, even though you may have lost contact with them in the physical sense. And all these contacts, friends, friends of friends, colleagues, friends of colleagues- the whole network is there to be accessed, if you need their help, and you too can assist them in their job search or network building.
But while using the online social network circuit can be a good idea for your job search, there are certain rules that you have to follow.
A common error made by job searchers is a failure to pick up the right site for advertising their profile. It is important to understand that certain sites are more geared up for business networking than others. Sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and MySpace are frequented by employers, while others like Orkut and Facebook are more for social networking.
With newer sites being added every year, it requires some research to find a site that best suits your requirements.
Never reveal full details such as date of birth, social security numbers, personal contact numbers, addresses or detailed work history on a public profile on such networking sites as these are prone to identity theft. Give just enough information to attract recruiters but leave out the details until you have established contact and are confident of the authenticity of the person contacting you.
Be consistent in networking. Networks are seldom built overnight and you may need to be active over a longer period of time to build reliable online contacts. It may often take some months of active participation before you begin to see significant results.Be aware of the individual features of networking sites. Many have features like company search, job postings, blog links and status updates that will help you fine tune your job search and access specific information that you may be looking for.
Follow networking etiquette and never get yourself into embarrassing situations by saying or posting something that you wouldn’t want your boss or colleagues to see. Thousands of people are reading what you post each day and once posted, the data is going to be there for years to come. So ensure that you don’t use these sites to speak ill about your employer or your job and cultivate a credible and professional online persona when networking with others.
According to the latest surveys, networking sites have grown at staggering rates in the last year and the trend is only likely to strengthen further. Top social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Flixter, LinkedIn, MySpace and Wikia offer bountiful hunting grounds for job seekers and recruiters alike.
With social networking’s widespread prevalence and growing acceptance as a forum for recruitment and employment, truly savvy jobseekers cannot afford to ignore its potential in helping them land the right job.
