Winter, Wyman News & Views: The Job Search - Reinvigorate Your Network through Online Social Networking

The old adage, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” seems to ring true in the search for a new job — especially in a competitive market.  When hiring managers have thousands of resumes on their desks, a personal recommendation can be the key to success.  While skills and experience are necessary to be hired, a personal introduction from a colleague or friend holds cache with many business professionals and can help move your resume to the top of the heap — and hopefully get your foot in the door. 

Experts say networking accounts for 60-70% of job search success, so becoming a master is critical in a sluggish economy.  A great way to revive a stagnant network, or to expand a growing one, is to utilize social networking websites.

You may be familiar with some of the informal networking sites, such as Facebook or MySpace, and may even have a profile set up already.  These sites provide a venue for people to keep in touch with friends and family by sharing messages, posts and photos.  But they can also be useful tools in the job search process. 

Once you have a Facebook or MySpace page, make sure you revise your profile so that your personal information reflects that you are looking for a job.  You may also want to post a link to your resume (make sure it is updated), and include information about the type of position you want.  You can also take a more active approach by reaching out to your online contacts to inform them of your search, the type of position you’re looking for and a list of possible companies.  They may be able to introduce you to someone who might be helpful in your search.  Before reaching out, however, take a critical look at your profiles and make any modifications necessary given your current circumstances.  Delete any blogs, photos, videos, friends, messages or information that may reflect poorly on you in light of a job search.

A site that mixes business and personal communication and that you might not be actively utilizing is Twitter.  What is Twitter?  Formally speaking, Twitter is a microblog.  More simply, it’s a personal website that allows for short statements, opinions or thoughts to be shared — in 140 characters or less.  For a person looking for their next job, it’s an invaluable platform to follow industry leaders and the people they interact with.  It’s rapidly becoming a necessary component of your social profile, similar to how LinkedIn evolved over the past two years.  Twitter offers you the chance to build your own brand in your marketplace for your own personal interests or your career growth.  And it’s not just a passing fad; the numbers associated with its growth suggest it’s here to stay.  There are still a lot of bugs to be ironed out, but it should not be ignored as a relevant business tool.  So what can you do with it?  And can it really add value to your job search?  The short answer is yes, but it takes some work.  Whereas LinkedIn offers the invaluable “who knows whom,” Twitter provides “who’s talking to whom.”

In addition to these social or mixed sites, there are also some strictly business-oriented networking sites such as Plaxo and LinkedIn, mentioned above.  Plaxo is similar to an online address book.  You can add and update your contacts at anytime, and can even synchronize your Plaxo account with other address book applications, such as Outlook Express and Mac OS X.  LinkedIn is more of a blend between Plaxo and Facebook.  If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, create one.  After you register with the site, you begin by developing your profile.  You can then make contact with friends, former colleagues, vendors and clients, who will become your “connections.”  You can invite anyone to be one of your connections, whether or not they use the site.  In addition to your own connections, you will have access to your contacts’ connections, and their connections as well.  Not only do you get leads from LinkedIn, but they are qualified leads, because no one gets full access to another person’s contacts without an introduction. 

It isn’t enough to just have a presence on LinkedIn—you have to make it work for you.  If you are currently unemployed, change your current title to reflect your search (i.e. John Doe, Looking for Financial Analyst position).  Instead of only including a brief blurb about yourself on your profile page, expand your personal information to include bullet points and summaries from your resume, detailed information about the types of jobs and companies you’re targeting and your successes from past positions.  You can also ask your connections on LinkedIn to “recommend” you.  Recommendations appear on your profile page and serve as testimonials about you and your expertise. 

Joining groups on these sites is another great way to build your pool of contacts and further your job search.  Facebook, Plaxo and LinkedIn all have groups related to specific industries and trades.  You can also consider becoming a member of an alumni group, a professional association, an industry trade group or even a community or civic organization.  Check to see if they have online message boards or mailing lists you could join.  Many large companies (and former companies) also have online groups of alumni, i.e. former employees.  Yahoo and Google also host groups.  Log onto these sites and search for a business-related group in virtually any category, including finance, accounting, investment, management, entrepreneurs, science, any technology known to man and even networking.  Leverage your connections on these sites to set up meetings with people who may be able to help you in your search. 

Introductions might be easier done from the comfort of your laptop, but networking works best when people see each other face-to-face.  Meetup.com is a social networking site that combines online groups with face-to-face events.  This site facilitates in-person meetings in various geographies that are organized by areas of interest.  Do a search to find groups that may complement your job search.  If you don’t see a group you’re looking for, start your own and invite others to join you. 

You can also utilize these sites in reverse.  If you see a listing on a job site or hear of an opening at a specific company, look through your contacts and review their friends and connections to see if you know anyone (or if they know someone) who works at that company who may be able to make an introduction. It’s always a good idea to do your homework before you meet with anyone.  ZoomInfo, a web-based service that pulls information about people and organizations from the web and other published sources, allows you to research contacts and their companies prior to meeting.  You can also create or update your own information on ZoomInfo so hiring managers can find you.

Of course, the biggest pitfall of using social networking sites is that you may find you are spending a bulk of your time in front of a computer screen.  Remember, these tools are an efficient way to reconnect with and expand your network, but don’t lose sight of your goal.  The value of networking—online or otherwise—is meeting people, sharing your story, expanding your contacts and hopefully finding that one connection who can help you get your dream job.  

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