Social networks – Powerful career growth tools

How Facebook, Linkedin and other networking tools increase your chances of career advancement

Recent research shows that at least half of all jobs are filled through personal contacts.

Social networking is one of the newest, most effective and less costly job search methodologies.

Ultimately, we hear about how Social networking has become a cultural phenomenon. The extraordinary proliferation of online social networks is changing the way we communicate. It could also help professionals find opportunities, providing a chance to develop their entire careers.

Datamonitor states “the current growth in social networking offers new opportunities to develop business supplying infrastructure platforms to run such sites, and it advises technology providers to look for ways to support social networking services in the areas of availability.”

Networking tools such as Facebook or Linkedin are not specific job search devices, but provide access to contacts that can support professional development.

Among other internet networking tools, Facebook introduced a feature to allow users to post free classified advertisements within the following categories: sales, housing, jobs and other.

Some employers look into those networking tools to evaluate new qualified employee prospects.

Information posted on those websites is potentially accessible to employers with faculty or alumni accounts.

All in all, we never know where or when we might meet someone who can provide job search assistance, thus, it can pay to invest time nurturing your presence in these social networking sites.

We agree on what Gerry Crispin -Principal at Career Xroad- said: “Networking is about what you give… if you do it well, you will be part of a network that will be tremendously helpful to you.”