The Internet: Your New Best Friend

I’m sure you’ve heard this a thousand times. That’s right, you’ve guessed it, ‘there are no jobs.’ The job outlook in the United States seems, well, almost hopeless at times. Whether you are a recent college graduate, or someone who has been endlessly looking for a job, there is hope for you yet! The trick is knowing where to look for a career. For this blog entry, I would like to write about utilizing social media and the Internet, networking with others, and getting organized. I am currently in this stage of my career search and I would like to share with you what I have discovered so far. 

Today, there is no doubt in my mind that the Internet plays a vital role in finding a career. For those of you who don’t already have a Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn account, I would highly recommend making one right now! Well, at least wait until you finish reading my blog. Social media and networking sites like Facebook practically scream opportunity! According to Facebook, there are more than 100 million active people using this site. Even larger than Facebook, LinkedIn reported their site has over 120 million users, making it the world’s largest professional network on the Internet. 

Networking websites offer endless opportunities for job seekers by making you more visible to potential employers, and gaining references for a job. Whoever came up with the expression “it’s all about who you know,” couldn’t be more correct. According to Barbara Safani, author of “The Ultimate Guide to Networking,” says most people get jobs from people they know. However, this doesn’t mean ‘friend requesting’ everyone that shows up on Facebook or LinkedIn and asking them for a job. Safani says to establish a relationship with someone first by asking for advice or information that will help your job search. Once you have established new relationships, ask your connections to recommend someone else to speak with. By talking with many different people, this expands your network, and possibilities for finding a job. 

With all the new friends you will be making through social networking, it may be hard to keep track of new contacts and referrals. To help keep your ‘oh so popular’ life well managed, try using jibberjobber.com (try saying that five times fast). Creating an account with this website allows you to not only organize your contacts, but follow up on jobs you are interested in. And the best part about it all? Jibber Jobber and the other networking sites I mentioned earlier are all free to use. Pretty cool, huh?