Social Networking isn't just for friends and family

One thing that has recently caught my attention was a Computerworld article I read about using social networking for job hunting. I had read in the Charlotte Observer where some people landed a job through their tweets on Twitter.  I even came across a website called TweetMyJobs which connects job candidates and recruiters. 

I'm sure most people view social networking as something fun where you connect with friends and family and make new friends but how many people actually use it for networking and job opportunities? How will this affect job hunting in the future? Will using these tools and getting your name out there give you the competitive edge? I'm sure if depends on your field too.

Using social networking online actually makes a lot of sense to me, especially from an employer's point of view. I mean think about it:

You have the chance to read about the experiences and accomplishments of someone online. They create a website or complete a project and post information about it and you are impressed. Then you read their thoughts on their blog and follow their tweets. You like the person’s philosophy and from what you can tell they have a decent work ethic and seem knowledgeable. The more you get to know them online and see who they know, what they know, what they are doing, what they have done, what they want to do, and what they think you have found a perfect candidate for a job. There is only so much you can learn from a person by reading a resume or by conducting an interview. However, by networking online and seeing their online persona will definitely give you a better idea of who they are.

I have heard all about Linkedin.com but I just now decided to join it to see what happens. I’m not currently looking for a job but I would like to network and I will be looking for one sometime in the future once I graduate and besides, it would be cool to network with others in my field.  Here is my profile in case anyone is interested. 

Twitter

I just started using twitter. If you want to follow my tweets you can sign up to follow me here. My twitter name is modern_diva because I see myself as well...a modern diva! lol

Twitter website
My twitter profile

Even though I have been dabbling with twitter, I don't see the point of using it. So basically all you do is post what you are up to or what you are thinking. I started looking for people to follow and all of a sudden there was an influx of people and organizations and tons of spammers who are following me. I don't like that aspect, especially all of the spammers. Yeah, I know all I have to do is delete them or whatever but still. Conceptually I can see how it might work in education but I need to explore this further.  I know twitter seems to be all the rage but I just don't think it is so great even though I hear about twitter on the radio, tv, internet, work, everywhere. There have been times when I wanted to post a follow up comment about someone's post but couldn't. On Facebook you can comment on people's posts. Also, if I want to see what someone is up to, I can just look on Facebook. So why have both? What is the difference? What is the purpose of twitter? Is it just a fad that will soon be gone and forgotten or is really something big that's going to last? I will explore it more and more but for now I am not that crazy about it since I don't really see what is so great about it.