Exposure is the key and this generally works especially for celebrities and politicians. Thus, it would seem logical to advertise your resume to any social means possible. Not always! Let me tell you why. Sending out your resume is like a contest where the more entries you send, the more chances of winning. But you’d be deluding yourself if you’d expect great results relying on only this. Among the tools in your job hunting arsenal, Social Networking emerges as one of the most powerful; however, you have to heed some warning signs using this approach.

Let’s break this down. With the rise of Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, applicants and hiring managers now have an easier and more convenient way to connect. HR professionals use social media to aid them in their recruitment and screening process. But picture this: what if you post your resume saying that you’re currently looking for a better job and you’ve sent out tweets and comments bad mouthing your current job? Potential employers and hiring managers may take notice…but what if your posts/tweets were read by the hiring manager from your company…or worse, your boss? Can you imagine what repercussions this may bring? Word would spread so quickly (that’s why they call it viral). You’d wind up disappointing people in your office, have people (and possibly your boss) lose confidence in you, or get yourself fired. Working in an environment like that would then be close to impossible.

Remember, if you opt to use Social Networking to boost your career then you should consider a few important points like keeping your profiles and your posts consistent. This is imperative. If you have irregularities or discrepancies on the information you post or have on your profile, then this could warrant a red flag on you. Don’t say you’re a Manager this week then say you’re a VP the week after!

On an equally important note, if you link your Facebook page on your profile then you better make sure that you don’t have photos you don’t want potential employers to see. A drunken night out picture of you and your friends wouldn’t guarantee a really good impression now would it?

In summary, social networking sites can really boost your career because it can get you connected to all the right people. Through setting up profiles and making yourself known that you’re looking, you can stumble upon opportunities that you can never otherwise find through merely browsing ads or going on a person-to-person job hunt venture. But while all these hold true, careful planning and execution should never be belittle. If you’re still employed (good for you!) then you should use this job search as discreetly and as professionally as possible.

Tags: employer, employers, hiring manager, Hiring Managers, Interview, interview advice, interviews, job duties, job history, job history in resume, job hunt, Job Search, job skills, job tips, Resume, resume help, resume mistakes, resume tips, resumes, Social Networks

This entry was posted on Friday, May 21st, 2010 at 11:44 am and is filed under Applying for a Job, Getting Fired, Job Search Tips, Resume, Resume Do's and Don'ts, Resume Help, Social Networking & Jobs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.