A Dozen Ways to Land a Job with Social Networking

Using social media sites hasn't fully taken over job boards and other ways to find a job, but it's another avenue to explore. The use of social media tools by corporations to find employees has seen slow adoption. However, some of them are using social sites to check backgrounds and personalities.

Often, when looking for a job, it’s who you know. What better way to get to know more people than by connecting with them online? It will help you stand out from the crowd of resumes, and that's always a good thing.

1. Social media is still new; not everyone is using them to find a job -- that alone will give you a leg up.
2. Find more targeted jobs to match your skills and experience than what you would find on mainstream job boards.
3. You could miss an opportunities by only going to the mainstream job boards. Some jobs are only posted on social media sites, because it's often free for the employer.
4. Join local discussion boards and sites that target your industry. In Seattle, you might try Digital Eve and Seattle Tech Startups. They often include job postings.
5. LinkedIn is a must if you're looking for professional jobs.
6. Social media provides a simple way to find information about companies and people you could work for. Look for things in common – a reason to connect, i.e., people you both know, schools you went to, personal interests. Make friends first, then let them know what you’re looking for. When an opportunity comes up, you’ll already have the contact.
7. Keep track of and maintain connections with co-workers -- everyone's moving around these days. If they land a job somewhere, there may just be an opening for you.
8. Make sure your direct connections know what you’re specifically looking for and what your key skills are.
9. Ask people you know to give you recommendations and post them on these sites.
10. Write a great resume; stand out; put yourself in the best light. Post it in all the right places, get a link to it, and include the keywords (or tags) that your potential employers are searching for.
11. Don't put anything in writing or post pictures on the web that you don't want your mother (or your future employer) to see. Everyone's heard the horror stories about people not getting the job because of some bad college party pictures.
12. Once you land an interview, research the company and people you may be interviewing with. You’re more likely to ace the interview if you show you did your homework.