Tips and tricks for developing and working an online networking strategy during your job search. Learn how to use the internet and social media to land a new job quickly. For more tips to help with your job search, resume writing, personal branding and career marketing, visit www.distinctiveweb.com or follow us at: Twitter: http://twitter.com/distinctivedocs Facebook: http://facebook.com/DistinctiveDocuments Google+: http://plus.google.com/+Distinctivewebofficial LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/michelledumas

1. How Online Networking Can Help Your Virtual Self Get The Job You Want
Copyright © 2013, Distinctive Career Services, LLC

2. Conventional business wisdom holds
that without a comprehensive online
strategy, your business is like a shark
that stops swimming: It sinks slowly
and lifelessly to the bottom of the sea.
Online presence is critical to
commercial success.

3. Interestingly, the same can be
said for your job search. If
you don’t engage in online
networking (e.g., use social
networking sites (SNS) to look
for work, all prospective
employers will be left with is
your resume which, like that
shark, will sink slowly and
lifelessly to the bottom (in this
case, the bottom of the stack
and, ultimately, the waste
basket).

4. “ Joey Price, CEO of Jumpstart: HR, once put it
very simply: “It’s not what you know, and it’s not
who you know; it’s who knows what you can do.”
Online networking (including use of social media) is
the most effective tool for expanding your circle of
contacts and, with it, your sphere of influence. “

5. We can’t stress
enough how
important creating
a broad and deep a
network is. Too
often we see
individuals limit
themselves by not
including certain
people because
they’re not
perceived to be a
source of potential
job leads.
Just remember that you know people who
know people who know people. The more
people you interact with, the more people
will know what you can do.
The larger the circle of
contacts, the greater the
likelihood that people you don’t
even know may become
interested in what you have to
offer, possibly leading to a
potential job opportunity from
a completely unexpected
source.

6. So, what are some of the easy action
steps you can take now to put social
media and online networking to work
for your job search? Here are a few
suggestions:

7. * Who are you? What we
mean is, who are
you online? Have you
conducted an online search
of yourself? You
should. Google (or Bing)
yourself. Do you currently
have an online presence? If
so, is it one that you’re okay
with or do the search results
point to some personal
information you’d just as
soon prospective employers
not see? If so, do something
about it! Tighten the privacy
settings of your Facebook
account, for example.

8. * Build an online profile. It’s
estimated that 89 percent of
companies use social media to
recruit. Set up a complete LinkedIn
profile and get the word out that you
have one. Search for people you know
as well as people in the
industry/profession in which you’d
like to work. The more connections
you establish, the more effective your
online networking will be.

9. * Communicate. Reply. Retweet. Repeat.
Set up a Twitter account and use it. Follow
industry accounts and those of your
peers/friends/professional contacts. Twitter is
highly interactive sointeract. Become someone
known for being interesting, one who shares
information and viewpoints about your area(s)
of expertise.

10. * There’s nothing wrong with
writing. If you write
well, write often. Blog about
things that are related to what
you want others to know you
know. Your content may
actually be more attentiongetting than anything on your
resume and gives prospective
employers insight into what
you can contribute.

11. Michelle Dumas runs of one of the longest-standing and most
respected professional résumé writing firms on the
internet, Distinctive Career Services, LLC (dba Distinctive
Documents). Since 1996, Michelle has empowered thousands of
professionals with résumés that get results and win jobs fast. Get
insider résumé writing tips that you won't find anywhere else at her
website. Go now to www.distinctiveweb.com
The Internet’s Résumé & Career Marketing
Specialists…Since 1996
www.distinctiveweb.com
resumes@distinctiveweb.com
(800) 644-9694
Copyright © 2013, Distinctive Career Services, LLC