Job Hunting with Social Media in 2012

iStock_000016004829XSmall

The internet has many opportunities as a venue for job searches.  In fact, there are so many opportunities that it’s hard to search through the millions of websites that offer jobs.  I am going to recommend the best strategy for job searching in 2012, and finding your dream job via social media.

The first thing you need to do is create your Linkedin account.  Linkedin offers professional networking opportunities, groups, and job postings.  These are great opportunities to get yourself recognized in your industry, and keep in touch with old contacts that you have.  I recommended creating a 100% complete profile.  You should upload a professional photo of yourself; it serves the purpose of potential employers feeling a personal connection.  If you would like to connect with me on Linkedin, click here.

The next best place to start to look for jobs is your local Craigslist.  Craigslist has two great sections where you can look: the Jobs section and the Gigs section.  Both sections offer great opportunities, and you are often talking interacting with local businesses, which are nice to support and be a part of.  If you live near multiple job markets, I recommend Crazedlist.org, which allows you to search multiple Craigslist sites at once.

Twitter is also a great place to go to search for a job.  In fact, you can go to TwitJobSearch, a job search website dedicated to searching twitter posts for jobs.  Make sure you specify the area where you are looking for a job.  About.com offers a twitter search guide, but I like TwitJobSearch better.

Next, post your resume on Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com.  I use a Google Voice number on those resumes to avoid getting those annoying sales calls.  Eventually, you do get some legitimate job offers on both Monster.com and Careerbuilder.  The best feature of those websites are the fact that you get daily updates on jobs available in your area, sent to your email.  This can save time in a job search.

Finally, the best sites to use in 2012 for job searches are Indeed and SimplyHired.  Both of these websites do a great job searching other websites for job postings.  You can save hours in your job searches with these websites, as they easily bring you job to job until you find something that you find interesting.

Are you looking for a job or had success on another website I haven’t mentioned here?  Leave it in the comments!