Amongst constant media attention and countless blog posts, Social media is here to stay. And you better get used to it. I here a great deal of job seekers still asking “WHY DO I NEED TO DO THAT?” If that is a question on your mind or if you simply do not know how to get involved, this series is for you. The focus will be to understand the importance of social media in the job search and workplace environments, plus how to leverage that to achieve your next job or enhance your current career.

Let us first define social media and what it is. Social Media is defined as media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. The foundation of these networks is simple, to connect people with common objectives or interests and encourage collaboration. With these networks, there are inherent benefits and risks. In addition, there are numerous methodologies on how to use them effectively depending on your objective. Your first objective should be to understand the importance of social media, the second should be to narrow down why you want to use it.

For purposes of this series, the job search will be the focus. Job searching has become a trend for the larger majority over the past few years. With increased outsourcing, layoffs, and now the recession – laid off workers and employers alike are turning to newer technology to enhance their management of the job search and recruiting life cycle. Social Media is at the heart of these newer technologies. Just like anything else, we need to understand where we need to be when thinking of social media for the job search. There are limitless options for social networking sites. Take a look below:

http://www.prelovac.com/vladimir/top-list-of-social-media-sites

http://www.doshdosh.com/list-of-social-media-news-websites/

The key is to understand the importance of the site in respect to your objective. For example, there are a great deal of social media sites that are vertically focused on certain things like the following:

http://entrepreneur.venturebeat.com/2009/09/02/25-social-media-sites-for-entrepreneurs/ (social media just for entrepreneurs)

With all of this information, how does one figure out the best way and most focused way to leverage the social media outlet. For purposes of the job search, we will focus on the top 2 in my opinion:

LinkedIn and FaceBook

These two sites are at the foundation of the job search effort. Without them, you will neither be able to leverage social media effectively nor accomplish your goal with technology. Think of them as your hubs, get involved and make a presence there. Here are some pointers on how to use them:

5 LinkedIn tips you must know and 20 Facebook tips you need to master

That should get you started. Check back soon, and we will discuss these two networks in detail and some keys to getting your name out there!

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