Social Networking & Career Management

If you haven’t already, it’s time to do so.  It’s time to start using social networking as a component of your career management.  This is ESSENTIAL!  It’s no secret that a significant number of jobs are gotten based on who you know via referral. In this topsy turvy economy, it’s a must to start being and keep connected with other professionals both in and outside of your industry.

The good news? In the stone age, that is a few years ago, connecting with other professionals had to be done physically.  Now it’s the digital age of networking….you don’t even have to leave your desk (and for some of you reading this, that is a complete relief)!

Additionally, it’s free!  Nothing’s better than being able to promote yourself for free.

So what are the advantages to using social networking sites?:

1. Just your presence suggests a more professional status because so many are using it.  In fact very high profile people do, such as the CNN anchors, famous authors, and actors.

2. Recruiters use them.  Yep, those looking to fill positions are going beyond Monster.com and other traditional recruiting sites to scope out top talent.

3. Getting independent advice from an SEM (subject matter expert).  It’s just must easier to approach someone in your network or a network rather than randomly searching the web or phone book.  Many sites have independently created forums for just such a thing.

A note of caution though, not every site elevates your status.  I recently read an article that suggested MY SPACE is “old space” now.  I recommend you start with two: Facebook and Linked-in.  Because it will require a bit of time to maintain, working with a few effectively is probably the way to go.

Additionally, be VERY strategic with the information you put on your site. This is about enhancing your professional status, not damaging it.

Now for those of you reading this post that have not caught up to the digital page rage and the thought of creating your own Facebook page seems daunting – no problem! You can ask a teenager to do it for you, post an ad on Craig’s list (believe it or not there are folks that create these pages for a living), or just go to Facebook and connect with someone’s site that you like and ask who did it.

Plug yourself into the digital professional community.  This is one strategy among many to keep a step ahead in the job market, whether you’re actively looking or not, is just smart career management.

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