Gain an Edge in Your Job Search Through Social Networking

On Sunday, March 15, KARE 11 TV's "Extra" highlighted how the use of social networking sites can give you an edge while job searching. The "Extra" featured a U of M senior who is utilizing Twitter as well as LinkedIn for her job search. A recruiter/headhunter also had been interviewed for the "Extra" and commented that LinkedIn is one job site that no job seeker can afford not to use and many treat it like an online resume.

I am an advocate for the use of social networking sites, and I'd like to share a personal example of how LinkedIn has worked for a job search. One of my clients who is connected to me on LinkedIn was jobsearching and looking for a contact person at "Company X." Through online research, she found names of key players in the organization and noticed one of the key players was connected to one of my connections. To make a long story short, I contacted my connection, and he contacted his connection at "Company X." Within 24 hours I obtained a contact name for my client.