Online social media is a fantastic tool for job hunting. The Big 3 (LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter) each have their own unique style that you can

what will employers find when they search your name online?

utilize in different ways for your job search. But while you're working these sites to land the perfect job, employers and recruiters are looking for you, too. And if you get their attention in the early stages of the job interview process, they're going to be actively searching for more details about you. According to one survey, 70% of hiring managers and recruiters have rejected an applicant based on what they found online. Have you Googled your name lately to see what they'll find out about you?

You can manage your online identity to control your reputation and your image in the job market in these 5 ways:

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Your personal brand is nothing more (or less) than the image you project to others. It's the whole (although abbreviated) picture of who you are and what you do--professionally. Online, it's the sum of the parts. A large (maybe the whole) purpose of creating and maintaining an online brand is so that people who don't know you (employers or potential clients/business partners) can find you, evaluate whether they want to meet you/work with you/recommend you. And that's why it's a big deal.

Be the candidate who stands out from the crowd.

Your online brand is your first impression for people, job leads, or opportunities that you might miss if it's not everything it could be. And, it's definitely a piece of the puzzle for those who have met you in person and are looking to find out more. If you don't think a hiring manager is going to look around online for more information about you before they make the offer, you are seriously misguided.

So, what can you do to make sure your online brand identity is a strong recommendation for why someone should hire you?

1. Use every opportunity to establish a presence. Although LinkedIn is my favorite online networking site, you should also incorporate Twitter, Facebook, Visual CV, and others. (One article says that you should "cybersquat as much social real estate as possible" to both strengthen your online brand and to combat social identity theft.) Make absolutely certain that every site provides a professional profile with dynamic words that describe who you are and what you do.

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One of the many, many fantastic applications of LinkedIn is that you can use it to land informational interviews. Informational interviews are just what they sound like: they are interviews that you conduct to gather information, usually about a job or a career field you're interested in. They last 20-30 minutes, and give you an opportunity to get answers about what a typical day is like, what the person likes or dislikes about the field, and what it takes to be successful. You can also use it as a mentoring session and ask for their advice on your situation and your best career/job search moves. Research tips for informational interviews to help you compile your list of questions. Informational interviews are strictly for you to get the "inside scoop" from someone who knows, and they help you to expand your network. (FYI: If you're lucky, you might get a job lead, but it's bad form to go into the interview expecting this person to help you get a job.)

But how do you go about setting up an informational interview if you can't do it through your current contacts?

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Every jobseeker should be on LinkedIn. It's an essential element of your networking and job searching strategy.

Why?

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Thank you Liz! Love this article….Check out – Liz Handlin’s Ultimate Resumes Blog

Have you ever wondered when your career is going to take off? Or when you will finally get the recognition you deserve for the work you do? Have you ever wondered why some people are able to generate a lot of attention and accolades for their professional achievements while others don’t? I have theory that a successful career is like a jigsaw puzzle: all the pieces should fall into place at once if you have done the following: (A) You have to put yourself in the right place at the right time (right company culture, right career path for your skills and personality, right mentor), (B) you have to figure out how to be a self-promoter without being arrogant, and most importantly (C) you seek out The One.

What is The One? The One is the one opportunity, the one boss, or the one project, that you have to grab in order to have that perfect shining moment that launches the next stage of your career.

If you ever read interviews with successful actors there is always a point in their story when they found The One. The one director, producer, publicist, script, or opportunity that launched the rest of his/her career. The same is often true in corporate America and, of course, with entrepreneurs. How do you seek The One and how do you know when you have found it? In some ways I suppose that knowledge is what separates those who are well known for their achievements and those who aren’t. If you can’t grab the brass ring when it presents itself perhaps you will never rise above the crowd and be recognized for what you do well.

There are a few points in my career when I found The One and taking advantage of it launched my career to the next level. I have changed directions in my career several times so for me The One usually has represented that point when my latest career has taken off. Based on my own experiences and the experiences of people who are much higher achievers than I am, here is a list of tips for finding The One in your career:

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"The squeaky wheel gets the grease" is a quip we have all heard.  What does it mean? Well, it is the mirror image of “out of sight is out of mind.” Where am I going with this?  It's all part of your networking/job searching strategy.  At your current job, that means you should make sure you squeak and are in sight of your boss and your company.  Be sure to contribute in meetings, follow up with positive emails, respond to surveys, pass on competitive information, etc.  Be seen.

With a recruiter or a network contact, there are similar ways to squeak: 

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I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to have a network and keep in contact with the people in it, but many people don’t know how to do this well.  So, today’s video post is on networking.  Not how to meet and talk to people one-on-one, but how to have a pool of resources.  Here are 4 major points to keep in mind for building the kind of professional network that will serve you throughout your job search and your career.

1. You do have current contacts. Make sure you have current e-mail addresses.  These don’t have to be close relationships–acquaintances are fine.  It should be people who you have something in common with:  you used to work with them, your spouse works with them, you went to school with them, you were/are in some kind of a group with them, you get the idea.  Every 3-6 months, send an e-mail to those contacts. It should say something like,  “Hi, this is Peggy.  It’s been a long time since we’ve talked.  I’m still at ____________________, still doing _____________.  If you need anything, please give me a call.  Here are my phone numbers if you need to get in touch with me or give someone else my contact information if I can assist them.  If your personal e-mail has changed, please let me know.”  If you can (but you don’t have to), offer them something.  This will keep you in their minds so that when an opportunity DOES come up, they are likely to think of you.  You haven’t asked anything of them--you’ve just said “Hello.”

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If you're new to the job market, you probably have challenges that are a little different from other candidates:  you probably have a small network to access, you have only limited job experience, and you're still learning the job-hunting ropes.  Here are a few job-hunting tips that will help you get on the right road to success:

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Jason from The Talent Buzz posted this January 11.  I love Twitter, and it's an honor to be included with the other great recruiters on this list.  Thanks, Jason!

It’s hard to believe it has been almost 2 years since my first tweet.  Since then I’ve had the opportunity to meet a lot of great people inside and outside of my industry and profession, and publish a few blog posts on the topic.  A few examples include:

• Using Twitter to Recruit, Find a Job, or Network
• Using Twitter to Network and Find a Job
• Recruiting, Social Media, and Friends. Twitter Rocks!

Looking back the growth of twitter has been astounding.  In April of 2009, there were 1.5 billion tweets.  9 months later (as I write this) there are 7.6 billion tweets and counting.

Last February (2009) there were 900 profiles with the word “recruiter”.  Fast forward 2 months to April and it grew to 3,900.  Today there are 10,372!  There are also over 15,000 social media “experts” in case you hadn’t heard…

So with over 10,000 people with the word recruiter in their profile, who should you follow?

I would start with the 25 most influential recruiters on twitter, according to wefollow.  They include:

1. Shally Steckerl - @shally
2. Irina Shamaeva - @braingain
3. Glen Cathey - @BooleanBlackBlt
4. AIRS - @AIRSTraining
5. Steven Rothberg - @StevenRothberg
6. Jennifer McClure - @CincyRecruiter
7. Jerry Albright - @Jerry_Albright
8. Geoff Peterson - @GeoffPeterson
9. Stephanie Lloyd - @StephanieALloyd
10. Paul DeBettignies - @MNHeadhunter
11. Craig Fisher - @Fishdogs
12. Michael Long - @theredrecruiter
13. Ryan Leary - @ryanleary
14. Jim Durbin - @smheadhunter
15. Shannon Myers - @slcmyers
16. Sarah Peacey - @RecruitingTruth
17. Nikki G - @Recruitnik
18. Todd Kmiec - @toddkmiec
19. Dawn Mular - @DMular
20. Jeff Lipschultz - @JLipschultz
21. Rick Deare - @RickDeare
22. Peggy McKee - @salesrecruiter
23. Bruce - @RecruiterBruce
24. David Graziano - @DavidGraziano
25. Darryl Dioso - @DarrylRMSG

Sure, one could argue the other 9,000 recruiters haven’t registered their profile on wefollow (that’s their fault) or have chosen a different tag than recruiter.  Either way, you’ll be in great company with these 25 tweeps.

Check out Jason's great Twitter Tips on the Talent Buzz!

Mark Hunter is a sales expert.  He has some really terrific networking event tips for you.  Whether you're in a sales field or not, these are tips worth learning how to do well.  You never know where your next job lead might come from!

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