You are looking for a job.  You have a brand spanking new resume, great cover letters, and gracious follow-up letters.  You have had numerous interviews.  You are working the entire arsenal of job search tools to help you land the next great career move.  What do you do with social media?

The Good
Social media can help you in your endeavors by providing a large network of people who know people.  Reports indicate that entrepreneurs are very successful in landing contracts by using Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

You can post that you have X, Y and Z qualifications.  If your friends or Links know anyone who could use a qualified person with your skills, they are able to share info about you with their friends.  It isn’t who you know as much as who do you know that knows someone else. LinkedIn has a job search feature, in which some companies that are LinkedIn use exclusively.  You can promote yourself and investigate companies.  You are able to provide answers to questions and post queries.  All the while sharing your knowledge with the network, you may just find yourself with a job offer.

Facebook can be used by not-for-profits to raise money and friends.  Use it to promote yourself.  It is a network after all.  Businesses are turning to Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and YouTube to spread the word about products and services, why can’t you. 

By using a “reader” you can follow several feeds at one time.  Following specific businesses or associations you can keep current on news or trends in your field.  Following news services keeps you up to date and may just spark an idea of where to search for a job.

The Bad

All of these social media venues are far reaching and forever.  What you say on any of these formats can be saved, forwarded, and retrieved for a very long time.  If you are just getting into social media, you may not have an issue with this.  If you are a new “tweep” you can begin cautiously with what you say over the Internet.  Keep it under your control.

The social media genre can be very time consuming if you let it.  Remember that social media is a tool and not the end all to networking.

The Ugly

Famous people are often plagued by early B role films that may have pictured them in unsavory actions.  Often their PR people can clean up the mess or work it to their advantage.  Most of us don’t have PR people on our staff, so we have to clean up our own messes.  While social media is great for getting our thoughts out and sharing photos with friends, we have to be careful so that those photos and thoughts don’t damage our job prospects.

Employers use the same social media outlets to research candidates that you use to research the company.  Don’t let your content cause you to be dismissed from consideration.  Here are ways to keep your online presence more favorable while searching for a job:

1. Clean up your on-line act – remove any pictures, content (language especially) or links that may send the wrong message to potential employers.
2. Update your profile – include your accomplishments both in and out of work.
3. Monitor comments – you can’t control everyone, but you can “block” comment features.
4. Join groups selectively – silly names may seem harmless but, “Babes on the Prowl” may leave a poor impression on an HR manager.
5. Go Private – consider setting any profiles to allow only designated individuals the ability to see your profiles.

What it boils down to is – while you are looking for a job keep your external appearances as professional as possible, you never know when an opportunity will present itself.  You don’t want it to pass you by.

How we can help – Are you currently unemployed?  The Employment and Training Representatives at Kane County Department of Employment and Education can help you assess your needs and point you in the right direction to finding new employment.  They can help you find many job search resources that will help you find a new job and/or career.

Four Offices to serve you:

Elgin – 30 DuPage Court                      847-888-7900 x 230
N. Aurora – 2 Smoketree Plaza           630-844-6640 x 203
DeKalb – 1701 E. Lincoln Hwy.            815-756-4893 x 240
Yorkville – 811 W. John St.                   630-553-8303