Job Searching with Social Media For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 1

The Lowdown on Social Media for Job Hunters

In This Chapter

Realizing why you need to have an online presence when searching for a job

Showing recruiters and hiring managers what makes you uniquely qualified

Using social media sites to host your résumé and manage your online reputation

Social media, sometimes called social networking, is nothing more than a technology that facilitates human interaction. Different than a website or a résumé, which are strictly one-way forms of communication, social media sites allow users to comment, share, or chat with each other, often in real time. Further, social media tools have lowered the barrier to publishing content online itself, and an army of bloggers, flip-cam video producers, and armchair article writers have found a voice. Social media has given ordinary people a chance to build an audience or interact with their favorite celebrities. Indeed, with social media comes your online reputation, and your reputation matters.

Social media has also become an important tool for job seekers due in part to the new ways people are finding out about (and getting fired from) jobs. As you may already know, most jobs come about through networking, ...