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You CAN Network Yourself to a Job Online

Recently I hosted a webinar with YouTern called Balance: The Social Networking Job Search – Build, Engage, Find. In the webinar, we reviewed tips and strategies for building your social credibility, engaging in new communities, and putting it altogether to help you in find new professional opportunities. I also shared successful case studies on how companies and candidates have matched on Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you listen to the mainstream media, you would think that every young adult is using social media tools to broadcast their life and find jobs. The more I coach, the more I realize that is definitely not true. In fact, I’ve recently participated in a discussion on the About.Com Job Search Group on LinkedIn about social media with some deeply skeptical Generation Y job seekers. If you use it right, social media can make amazing things happen. Here are three things to keep in mind that might help convince you that social networking is something you should add to your career management and job search toolbox.

1. You create and direct your own story. Seth Godin talks about how we give up our personal power through constant self-sabotage, that it’s easier to not get involved or take charge of our own brand than potentially fail at it. When you take that stance, you also forego any opportunities that would come from putting yourself out there and engaging with new communities. By creating and building your own social credibility based on your value, you end up with more choices. I recently hired a business development consultant, Alisha Miranda, through social media. She consistently put herself out there through Twitter, LinkedIn, and multiple blogs which opened her up to opportunities like mine. You can do the same.

2. You increase your chances of meeting like-minded people who can help you. One of the greatest gifts I’ve found through social media is the ability to connect with people who I never would have in New York City through in-person networking. All of the people I have met are tremendously talented and mission-driven about changing career trajectories for Americans. In fact, I met Mark Babbitt, Jennie Mustafa-Julock, and Brett Kunsch, the other team members involved in the webinar, through Twitter, LinkedIn, and Brazen Careerist, respectively. As a team, we’re now creating professional opportunities for each other to make the change we want in the world.

3. You enhance all aspects of your professional life. Networking online is one aspect of a bigger strategy to build better relationships and expand your network even further. Last month, I wrote a blog post on how I used online networking to help me land a plum leadership spot at a conference. Many people can’t get into social networking because they can’t see beyond exchanging a few tweets or emails with people over a month or so. Of course that isn’t going to lead anywhere! It’s about seeing past those tweets and having the imagination to think about how it will take you somewhere great.

Have I convinced you that you can network yourself to a job online?

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