In the last five or so years, social networking has become the main way we communicate these days.
It helps to have a well established network not only for personal fun, but for professional purposes as well. Your connections can not only speak for you as references, but they can also be your "in" when it comes to getting the job you want. So how can social media help your search? As a former HR rep and project manager with hiring experience who used social media to hire stellar talent, I can tell you what to watch out for from experience and what I look at when hiring online.
Your social network, whether we realize it or not, says a lot about you. Its what draws like-minded people to each other. Even with the less obvious sites like Facebook or Pintrest, where you display your likes proudly for the world to see, who you follow says a lot about your interests when people search for you and land on your page. The "don't judge a book by its cover" rule, simply doesn't exist in social media. Be careful what you post on your pages as companies will be judging you by them.
What to Post: If you simply MUST post those pics of your friends at the bar last night, it may help to have a separate professional page and network. This way, you can post that embarrassing picture without getting you or your friends "in trouble" with their jobs and you will not be hurting your search. When job seekers look at your pages, they want to see your personality shine through. Re-posting your favorite celebrity's witty tweets are ok, as well as posting wit of your own, just don't over do it. You want to steer clear of that celeb or tweeter that always posts offensive comments as it is not professional behavior.
As you think of your professional "personality", it may be hard to decide if you should change any element of yourself or leave it out. Think of your professional sites as your preliminary interview. You want to show off as much relevant experience as you have, but you don't want to over do it. Most companies only require a minimum of 5 years experience in any field. Post the jobs you have had in the last 5 years that are the most relevant.
You can jazz up your social network any way you like. You can also hire a graphic designer to make your pages stand out, or use images edited from Photobucket. You can use Instagram to make your pictures stand out and give your network a more retro feel, do it any way you feel that best fits your personality. You want to stand out and catch the eye of potential jobs.
Networking the right way You don't want to look desperate by tweeting and updating your status constantly about the job. Letting your friends and followers know you applied and asking for references once or twice is quite enough. You want to show you know how to network properly. Any other way can be detrimental to your search. When you update your status to your professional, the best rule of thumb is to think "Will this get me fired if I had a job in the real world?" If you wouldn't say it on the job in real life, don't post it to your page.
Using social acronyms is best saved for personal sites. Even I have difficulty with knowing when its appropriate to send a message with a smiley face or an "LOL" at the end. I usually wait for my potential bosses or clients to set the mood of the conversation and follow suit. If they are more casual and use abbreviations and acronyms, then I adjust. If they are professional, then my conversation and demeanor is more professional. In my personal online circle of friends, I have learned that different cultures have different acronyms. If you are going to be working with someone from the UK and you are in the US, you may find you need someone to explain things to you anyway. Why add complicated acronyms on top of that? It is just not professional.
Your professional network will say a lot about you as a person. It is best to have a network for friends and a separate network for work-related and job searches. This way, anything you post can not be held against you.
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