Did you know that networking sites can now be utilized to enhance your job search? With the rise in the demand of networking sites, some employers and hiring managers go through great extremes to use social media to hire the right person for their company. Since the beginning of time, people have used networking to find a job, either through personal or business network. But recently networking has become an essential part of the job search.
Social media sites can be used in many ways to network and eventually land a job position. They are an effective means to improve your job search and build your career as they can help create your professional brand and build your strategic online presence. These sites can also be called job networking sites as they are now essential in a job hunt.
In job networking sites, you can build your ultimate social media resume and impress potential employers who can see your profile. Some of these sites incorporate job listings. Hence, if you sign up or register at least 5 of the top social media sites today, your chances of landing a job is relatively higher than anyone else that does not use social media tools. Honestly, in this current economic crisis, there is no reason not to exploit these sites. The following are top 10 social networking sites that are now essential in a job hunt.
• LinkedIn - this site is by far the best place for job seekers to hunt for that perfect job opportunity. This is where job seekers, recruiters, employers, marketers and salespeople interact, network and communicate to each other. When the US economy declined, this site became the hot spot for job seekers. It allows you to optimize your professional profile and cultivate your network. You may improve your network through group participation. The site also includes different applications.
• Facebook - Generally, most Facebook users do not use the full potential of Facebook. The site can be used for professional networking and to get a job, either you can utilize the Facebook marketplace or groups/fan pages. Facebook marketplace lists job opportunities, items wanted and for sale items in your network. You can directly contact the person or company you are interested in. The groups or fan pages can be utilized to increase your network to people with the same interest as you.
• Twitter - a social networking site that offers microblogging service. The site is normally used by ordinary people to tweet about their personal life. However, it can also be used in other ways including for job hunting. The site allows job seekers to communicate directly to the hiring managers without the need to submit first any type of resume or cover letter. The only means to enhance your job search through twitter is to link it to your blog or LinkedIn profile.
• Craigslist - another valuable job search tool that you should consider if you are planning to work in a big brand name company. The site generally attracts consultants and small to midsize companies. It endeavors to freshen up its list daily hence you have good chance of acquiring a job if you check the site more often than everyone else.
• Ecademy - another prime source for professional networking. The site provides you the opportunity to enhance your professional profile and let other people know you much better. Similar to LinkedIn, the site can also help improve your network through business groups that have the same interest as yours. It allows you to message other members and be introduced to other people through friends. However, you can mainly search jobs through networking as the site does not have job listing.
• MySpace - a social networking site that can also be utilized for job searching. It offers great opportunity as it allows you to connect to people through your personal profiles, blogs, groups and so on. As more people used social media sites, some hiring managers nowadays check this site to see potential employees.
• MyWorkster - concentrates on exclusive networking for colleges. The site allows students and alumni to network for career opportunities. It allows you to build up your own professional profile. The site has built-in instant messenger, job listing powered by indeed, job search engine and has valuable features such as groups, events and resume posting. However, if you did not go to college, the site is not beneficial to you.
• Ning - an online service that allows you to create, customize and expand your social network. The site is utilized through varieties of ways including job hunting and job search. The searches can be shortened by location, industry or keywords. The site has many different networking groups and each has different features. Generally, it has blog features and forums.
• Plaxo - a social networking site that has slightly similar features to LinkedIn. You are allowed to improvise and enhance your profile to attract potential employers. It has "pulse stream" feature that constitutes your social media presence through social media sites. Also, it tracks your contact information through Yahoo! Map. The site has job aggregator powered by Simply Hired.
• Jobster - a powerful platform to network or connect with potential employers. It gives you opportunity to upload your resume and even embed a video resume to display yourself. You can also add links to your site and post your picture. The site also allows you to search for job positions and employers who offer job opportunities.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com/3943359