Social Networking for Job search Success - Why Managing your online presence is important.

Social media is really nothing more than a technology that promotes human interaction. It is principally different from a website or a resume which are rigidly one-sided ways of communication. Moreover, social media has removed obstacles and barriers to publishing content and therefore an infantry of bloggers, article writers and content creators have found a meandering way to have a voice and to build an audience. Indeed, social media has become a path to carve one's online reputation and this reputation matters.

Needless to say social media has become a crucial tool for job seekers. Its is a known fact that most jobs come about though networking, not applying jobs in job boards or aimlessly sending resumes. Social media thus comes handy as a tool that makes networking easier, more accessible and direct. Therefore, if job seekers can become pro-active and learn the use of social networking well, their chances of finding opportunities expand multiple folds.

Social media has increasingly become the most sought after platform to search for talent on the side of hiring managers and talent hunters as well. More than 85% of recruiters use LinkedIN. Additionally, 50 % of the hiring managers can determine whether a candidates personality is a good fit for their company just by assessing their social media presence.

In conclusion the reason why having more than a basic online presence is essential, now more than ever before:

(a) Recruiters WILL google you: Recruiters are trained in advanced data mining, SEO, keyword search boolean searches. If they are interested in pursuing you as a final candidate they will find out everything there is about you on the web. In other words, they wouldn't be doing their job if they didn't do their due diligence and investigate your online presence.

(b) Most companies do not want to spend additional resources in paying for job boards and second parties. They want to use the most readily available, free of cost, efficient and quick tool at their disposal to land the best match.

(c) Generic resume blasts do not work. Sending numerous copies of the resume to all companies via job boards might not take you beyond the screening round because the company is wading through hundreds of generic-looking resumes.

Therefore, having a positive, consistent presence on various social media platforms makes it easier for hiring managers/recruiters to find you, spot you, highlight you, save you and send you forward. Plus, with all the relationships you are building by networking, an employee referral might be on your way to take you to the top of the pile.