And last...but not least...

For the final social networking tool in our 3-part series - we are going to take a look at Facebook!

 

Facebook (www.facebook.com)

Facebook is a social networking website — a gathering spot, to connect with your friends and with your friends friends. Facebook allows you to make new connections who share a common interest, expanding your personal network.

(Source: hallman.nccommunities.org/glossary)

Facebook is an excellent tool for connecting with people in our personal and business lives; however, that being said, during the job searching process it may be best to either have 2 separate facebook accounts (one for job searching and one for personal use) as Facebook allows people to post photographs, comments and links on to your “wall”; depending on your security settings.  Facebook is best for researching companies that you are interested in working for as most companies have Facebook Pages and you don’t even need a facebook account to access them.  You can also use this site for connecting with former colleagues and network with them to see if they have heard of any job openings that may interest you.

Now that we have looked at 3 social networking sites to enhance your job search, we will leave you with some final tips:

• The Internet is a powerful tool to help you research social networking further.  Simply use Google to learn more information.

• Make sure you read through the privacy settings of all sites and select the privacy that will work best for you.

• Your online presence can be viewed by potential employers, so ensure that the content of your profile and status updates/tweets are professional

• Employers/General Public will get a sense of your interests and character through looking at who you “follow” and what you post; keep this in mind when job searching

• Social Networking is a great tool, however, this should not be your only avenue for job search – continue to use in-person networking, online job search and traditional methods as well to increase your chances of securing employment