Social media is a great way to increase your profile and get recognized. Here are eight tips to use social media to help you find your next job.

 

 

Recruiters and headhunters tend to use these social networking sites for professionals as an extension to Monster.com. You need to make sure your profile can be easily found on these Web sites, and is peppered with keywords. Whenever you meet someone, ask permission to connect with them on LinkedIn and stay in touch.

 

A quick word of warning, make sure any Internet links to you enhance rather than decrease your personal brand. You may find it easier to ramp up the privacy settings on your Facebook account to the highest level possible, rather than ask your friends to take any photos of you socializing as a student down.

 

 

Do a search on LinkedIn and find out all the companies within your preferred geographical location, which are likely to hire someone like you. You can then use LinkedIn to find out more about these companies and contact former and current employees to get the inside scoop – plus who you should contact within the company to find out about vacancies.

 

 

 

Writing a blog is a great way of demonstrating your expert skills. If maintaining a blog is too much work, how about getting an article published in a popular online magazine? (When I say popular, I mean popular with potential hiring managers.) This is an excellent way of raising your profile and getting yourself noticed.  When you answer a question on LinkedIn, or another Internet forum, ask permission to connect with them on LinkedIn and start an offline dialogue.

 

 

Your Facebook network is a great place to keep people informed of how your job hunting is going. You can use your status to jog people’s memory on who they know who may be able to help you.

 

 

Eighty percent of all vacancies are not formally advertised – and your network is the best place to find out about these vacancies, or those who may be able to help you find one of these vacancies. One-third of all job hunters who use their personal or professional network to find out about vacancies were successful.

 

 

For example, recruitment consultants, people who run networking groups, generally are one of the first people to hear about potential job vacancies. Befriend these people –they are all over LinkedIn. They might be able to help you.

 

 

Many good career coaches will write blogs dedicated to helping people find their next role. It's worth reading these blogs and articles to help you with your job hunting.