Everywhere I turn nowadays there are articles about social networking: passing fad or here to stay? In my humble opinion it is definitely here to stay. So much so, in fact, that I cannot picture my work environment without it. I am aware that its impact on the recruiting industry is much deeper than others. For example, a friend of mine works for an information services firm that was ready to fire one of their associates for blogging about their products and services without getting legal’s approval. This seems insane to me because it is so much a part of my daily routine. With that said, I still speak with many people who are either not leveraging the tools at all or not using them to their fullest potential. Here are my Big 4 reasons for using social networking:



Networking: This is the obvious one, of course. As a recruiter, social networking is like Christmas everyday! You do not need to be looking for another job. You could be perfectly happy in your current role and the great thing is recruiters can use social networking to find YOU for your next great role. It also helps us recruiters expand our network on a daily basis. This is vital to my success.

Communication: Once you have built your network, these tools are the best way to keep your network informed of what you are doing. As a recruiter, I am able to tell people what type of searches I am working on and that information gets passed on to many different networks!

Education: I love Twitter for this area. My daily routine is to first check my blackberry (of course) and then to hop on Twitter and see what is going on in the world. What did I miss while I was sleeping? I love to see what people are suggesting I read and what new tricks of the trade seem to be working or simply what is happening in the world of recruiting.

Branding: Social networking is THE way to build your brand online. Do not underestimate the power of the exposure you will get by using these tools. Be thoughtful in the information you share and how you want to be perceived by others.

Do not be afraid to dive in and give social networking a try. You will quickly see the benefits it can bring from both a personal and professional perspective. I think once you start, you will be hard pressed to stop!