Are You New to Social Networking? Did you know that you can use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to help you find a job? In fact, Nielson Online, a marketing research company, reports that over two-thirds of the global online community uses social networking sites.
Many of these people are using such sites to contact employers and share tips with other job seekers.
So, which are the best networking sites to help you? Check out the following to find out which sites are most popular among laid off job seekers.
Employers are Looking for You on Facebook A few years ago Facebook was used by college students to make friends and post embarrassing pictures of each other.
Now, however, Facebook is used by people of all ages, and more and more employers are using this site to recruit workers.
Facebook has a "marketplace" feature where you can search for jobs and email potential employers of your interest.
You can also join common interest groups, find people in your area or with similar problems, and swap tips with them.
Facebook is a great way for the laid off worker to network.
You can find old friends or co-workers and ask them if they've heard of any job openings.
You can search for people by using their email and once you've added enough friends, Facebook can suggest people you know by searching through its network.
Facebook is easy to use and it's free to start an account.
Twitter Popularity is Growing Among Laid Off Job Seekers Twitter is similar to blogging and you'll be expected to update your status with "tweets" fairly often.
You can update either via the website or through mobile phone texting.
You can also link your Twitter account to your Facebook account, so all your Facebook friends can see your updates.
Laid off workers have been turning to Twitter in droves and the site recently started its own job search engine at twitterjobsearch.
com, where you can find discussion boards for specific industries.
If you decide to use Twitter make sure you keep your profile professional and include what job you are looking for.
You'll also want to Twitter about things relevant to your industry.
If you have an area of expertise, give advice and help others.
The idea is to grow your network, ask for advice, and for referrals.
LinkedIn is Used by Laid Off Professionals Unlike Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn is geared toward career networking and is considered by many as the top networking site for job seekers.
LinkedIn is commonly used by industry professionals, marketers, salespeople, and now increasingly by laid off job seekers.
The strategy with LinkedIn is similar to that of the other sites.
You'll want to create a professional profile, participate in groups, and grow your network.
Social Networking Sites Could Help You So if you were part of a mass layoff or just an individual who may have been singled out,social networking is vitally important to your future success.
Social networking sites have really taken off in the past few years and it now outranks email in popularity.
Given the economic downturn, more and more laid off employees are searching for their next job by using online networks.
So, whether it's Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or the many other networking sites out there, social networking could be what lands you your next job.