Easy Steps for Designing a Social Networking Strategy in Your Job Search

I'd like to share some notes from a presentation I delivered at a recent international career conference called Cannexus in Ottawa, Canada. During my presentation I asked the audience four questions and elaborated on each one. Here's the first question...

1. What are the best social networking sites to use for your job search and career management? First, decide what your goals/objectives are.

• What do you want to achieve by using social networks? Job leads? Connecting with industry experts? Building relationships gradually?

Second, take a test drive. (Example: Twitter)

• Find other Twitter users who tweet about the same topics you're interested in, such as career change, résumé writing, interviewing, etc.
• Use Twellow to search for experts in your desired field.
• Ask for leads from contacts on Twitter.
• Join Twitter lists.
• Use hashtags (#) to funnel down your area of interest. Some examples include: #careers #resumes #hiring #jobhunt #jobhuntchat #careercollective.

The next three questions I asked are as follows: 2. How do social media sites (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook) differ? 3. Should job seekers focus on two or three main sites or "cast a wide net?" 4. What advice would you give to job seekers and career builders for managing their social media strategy? Melissa C. Martin is a bilingual career coach who specializes in offering career counseling by phone. Read more » articles by this approved career expert.