Social media has had an overwhelming impact on everything, our everyday lives have been taken over by an obsession with keeping constantly up to date with the people that surround us, the news, celebrities, and a continual need to be socially aware and informed. It has slowly crept into every aspect of our lives and has even begun to impact our careers…

MySpace and Bebo were the starting factors of the social media obsession and it has quickly grown and developed from there, mainly with the introduction of Facebook and Twitter. It is not just ordinary people that are indulging in the social media trend, more and more companies are establishing their online presence with pages and profiles dedicated to their businesses and encouraging users to ‘like’ and ‘follow’ them for the most up to date information about them which now also includes the career opportunities.

Linked In is a social media application that is entirely dedicated to work, careers and professionals and sees so many people utilizing the tool to find their new career and for businesses to find new employees… Social media can be a tricky thing and can sometimes cause problems with the types of things that are posted or the way things can easily be misconstrued, if you are attempting to use social media to determine your next career move then there are a few guidelines to consider to ensure you have the chance of success…

• Set up your own profiles on each of the leading social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Linked In
• Be cautious as to the things you post about yourself and other people, remember that if you are using social media for job hunting purposes then you have to appear professional
• Reconnect with old acquaintances, you never know the opportunities they may bring with them
• Tailor your CV to meet as many different companies as possible, there will be lots of different niches which will view your information you need to ensure they consider you
• Don’t over sell yourself, make the business owner want to contact you to find out more
• Check your accounts regularly for any messages or activity
• Be realistic in your searches, don’t hunt for jobs 100 miles away if you aren’t willing to move or at least travel
• Consider have multiple profiles, ones that are purely for professional purposes and ones that are for general
• Be active! Make sure your presence is felt on the social media sites so you are more likely to capture attention

Social media is one of the most current and successful ways of finding out about new positions, whether you use it to apply or not is a different matter. Although it looks to be the future of recruitment with many using it to head hunt as well as browse career prospects, it may not be for everyone and often the traditional methods are the best for those struggling to adapt with the introduction of new technology. Jobstoday.co.uk are one of the recruitment leaders and can be the most successful traditional method of finding your new career.