Social Networking - Career Networking

JOB READY - JOB SAVVY:

SOCIAL NETWORKING, LESSONS LEARNED AND YOUR CAREER

So I logged in today, realizing that I have been on blogger hiatus for just over a month! That's a big blogger no-no! Once you comit to blogging you have to be consistent, especially if you're blogging for more than just giving  voice to your own fodder. But if you're looking to create a blogger community, you must put in the time and effort.  I confess, I nearly forgot that I had not been blogging weekly, as intended. With all the social network posting activity, frankly I didn't feel like I had been away from the blog since many of the things I've posted on Meet -Up, Face book, Linked In, Quentins Friends, A Mighty River and the other social sites I'm connected to, all relate to my Job Ready-Job Savvy focus.  So, I admit my short coming and apologize to my blog readers. This is not only a valuable lesson for me, but for job seekers as well.

CONNECT, INFLUENCE, CREATE & ACHIEVE

First, and this is the lesson I most need to take to heed, if you are going to use  social networking as a tool to look for employment opportunities, you must keep it up to date and current.  Regularly, add some new information or experience about yourself to your home page, wall, message board (or whatever it's called). Remember being jobless doesn't mean you don't have a life. Continue to stay active.

Secondly, I've been advising people to make maximum use of their social networking sites to network for jobs. Best advice, abandon...OK, suspend your personal page in favor of a professional page. Use it to promote your talents and skills. Less like a resume and more like an advertisement for a service.

Third, I encourage you to join professional associations to promote growth and connections, and as a way to stay relevant in your career. Some of the best employment leads can come form colleagues in your industy. So for instance, if you're on Linked In, there are a number of professional association, companies and educational institutions that have groups you can join and open up your networking circle to hundreds or thousands more.

Lastly, and this is important, so pay attention...just as I am suggesting that you seek out opportunties to expand your professional network by connecting to groups, sites and pages of companies in your field and companies you'd like to work for, be mindful that social networking is a massive interconnected highway. So if you can find them, they can find you. If your social circle engages in questionable activity, you too will be seen as engaging in questionable activity. So, stop collecting FB friends  and Twitter followers like kids collect stickers. You have to be selective about who you friend and who they friend...sometimes the degree of separation is less than 6.

If you haven't already abanoned me for the outdated blog post and for not staying current and relevant, please join the conversation and let me know what your experience has been using social networks to find employment opportunties.

Until next week (I promise)... Be Well, Live Well, Speak Well.