We tap into personal networks, ask friends for references, visit placement agencies etc for finding jobs. With the Internet buzzing with social media, there are similarly many ways to use social media in order to network, and eventually find a job.

Social media sites have been growing at a rapid pace over the past few years. The moment we have some spare moments, we like to be online, be it on Facebook, Orkut, Twitter, or Linked In. However, social media has become more than simply a fun way to chat with friends and share photos clicked on a weekend trip. It has evolved into an important job-search tool.

Whether one is looking for ones first job, exploring a career change, or just setting oneself up for future success, social media sites have proven themselves as important platforms for facilitating connections, sharing interests, and ultimately landing one in  the job he actually want.

If you are a job seeker, you can use social media as a job-search tool so that your profile can be easily found by potential employers. This is the latest trend coming up in hiring industry. You can start by creating your Google profile so that when you’re Googling your name, it shows up easily. Googling your name on a daily basis also checks that you aren’t somehow associated with anything inappropriate.

If you are not on LinkedIn yet, you definitely need to be. It is a professional networking site that allows you to connect to people you know. It also allows you to see profiles of anyone else on LinkedIn, and gives you ways to connect to them. It is a network of over 65 million members in over 200 countries.  If you have created a profile on LinkedIn, make sure it’s optimal and effective. Your profile on LinkedIn should trigger more conversations with potential hiring managers, leading to interviews.  You can also join a number of LinkedIn Groups , follow discussions, ask questions and make comments. This can be an effective way of putting yourself out there and being seen.

Twitter is another powerful job searching tool. If you have created a Twitter account, you can easily discover and follow smart and helpful career advisors, bloggers and recruiters. Most of the recruiters Tweet out job openings, which is again a great way to find jobs.
Facebook is a popular social networking site where you can connect with friends or other people.  You can also use it for professional networking by posting your status updates relating to your job search.

In India, hundreds and thousands of fresh engineering graduates pass out of colleges every year however, all of them aren’t employed. So, how should they find jobs? Freshers should make their online presence felt and that too effectively so that their profile is easily searchable to hiring managers.

If you are a job seeker and want to stand out from the crowd in today’s competitive job market, you must use above mentioned social media tools effectively. You can also create your own blog and participate in resourceful discussions in various online forums.

Social networking helps you bypass the process of submitting your resume amongst thousands submitted for one job opening through a site or placement agencies or in response to a classified advertisement.

 It can bring you closer to finding a job by allowing you to establish a relationship with the people who are looking to fill a job position, companies or with friends, colleagues and peers. You may get a great job faster by making yourself known earlier in the race - through the opportunities offered through online social networking. 

(The writer is  founder & CEO of Freshersworld.com)