Posted under Internet Job Search on May 7th, 2007
Millions of job seekers and employers alike are using social networks to conduct searches. From an employer’s point-of-view, a social network is an excellent place to recruit qualified candidates that may not be in an active search. For a job seeker (active or not), social networks are a great place to obtain inside advice on companies and careers, as well as a vehicle to promote a personal brand. LinkedIn (LI) the best-known career social network, reported 89% growth in members from 2005-2006 and has more than eight million members.
According to eMarketer younger workers are more likely to view career networks as beneficial: 75% of GenYers said they viewed these networks as very important, compared with 66% of workers age 30-39 and 61% of workers age 40+. Jeffrey Grau, Senior Analyst at eMarketer notes, “The proliferation of social networking sites, blogs and online discussion groups organized around niche topics enables employers to find job candidates with specialized knowledge and skills.”
So, should you be running to LI and setting up a profile? Probably. You might consider at least checking it out. And, if you’re serious about using LinkedIn, join a user’s group such as Yahoo! Groups’ My LinkedIn Power Forum. In fact, Yahoo! Groups currently has 188 LinkedIn specialty groups based on occupation, geography, age, and other interests!
Finally, if you’re still not sure, read this comprehensive article at PC Magazine. It gives a full review including a helpful slideshow.
Posted by Michele Haffner
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Jobmatchbox on 08 May 2007 at 8:17 am #
Saying that you should “probably” be using LinkedIn is like saying that you should “probably” be using email. Yes, its a social network, and that is a new concept for some people, but it has been around since the mid 90’s and it is one of the best online networking tools, job hunting tools, personal branding tools, etc. out there.
For some pointers on where to get started I would recommend signing up, then seaching the LinkedIn Question & Answer category for How To Use LinkedIn. You may also want to visit Jobmatchbox.com and read our Social Networking Catgory for more on how to take advantage of LinkedIn.