Being a recent graduate into the world of recruiting, I was at first over-whelmed and in awe of the opportunities available to recruiters. Then I met a great man who saw potential and I began a wonderful exploration into recruiting and social media. Where do I see my future in Recruiting? The sky's the limit!

I come from a background of competition and perfection because I have always been an academic and I have been a graphic/web designer for the past fifteen years. I was shocked to see how open recruiters are with ideas and knowledge. Recruitfest 09 opened my eyes to many things, and like a sponge, I took it all in.

One of my favourite lines from that day was when Jenny De Vaughan said, “If you don't like helping people, then get out of our line of business.” This statement is very true and it is the unsuccessful recruiters that forget this basic ideal. Recruiting is about helping people! Whether you are helping the client or the candidate, if you do not fulfill their needs then you have failed! #fail

This is why networking is so important for recruiters, it is through the connections that we make on a daily, hourly, every minute of the day that will ensure the successful placement of qualified candidates into the roles which our clients need filled.

I have attended Toronto Tweet-ups and the ideas and energy flowing amongst those in attendance was wonderful. Of course networking is also brought about through social media. The beauty of social media, in my opinion, is that it allows people to connect in a meaningful and expedited manner. It opens the networking portal to a greater number of people and the support system entwined within its coding is miraculous. Social media is the wave of the future and I plan to ride it to the end. The possibilities open to recruiters are exciting and ever expanding. This is a medium that opens itself to all walks of life, on every corner of the globe. Whether writing or reading tweets, posts or blogs, or listening to or participating in web-casts/webinars, the avenue to access in just a click away. The important thing to remember, however, is to be an active participant rather than sitting back and watching it all pass you by.

It amazes me how important the social media aspect of recruiting has become to my potential in recruiting. In fact, it was through a combination of networking and social media that I have gained great potential job opportunities in the past few weeks.

So once again, to answer the question of my future in recruiting...I would have to say it is an enlightened one, enveloped within the world of networking and social media.

See you at a Tweet-up or Recruiting Unconference soon!