The One Thing You Cannot Avoid If You Really Want a Job

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There's no fighting it: We've reached a point where it's impossible to avoid social networking if you truly want to find a job. It's no longer enough just to search for jobs on various job sites. If you're not reaching out and contacting others, you're probably missing hundreds of opportunities.

"For the more than 13 million unemployed Americans who are actively seeking jobs, and for the passive job seekers who are unhappy with their current employer, investing time and energy in Social Recruiting is the crucial step that could directly lead them to their next job," said Robin D. Richards, chairman & CEO of CareerArc Group.

He goes on to explain why this is so. "We've shifted from a "browse and show me" society where static online job boards were the preferred destination for employment seekers; to a "refer and lead me" society where Social Recruiting is leading the way in bringing together opportunities and opportunity seekers as friends, and friends of friends, have become the new trusted authority."

A recent survey, conducted by CareerArc Group of members of their social recruiting site Internships.com, found that:

79 percent of respondents are comfortable with employers reaching out to them directly through social media for job and internship opportunities.47 percent sent personal Facebook messages to at least 10 friends directly asking for help finding internship opportunities.34 percent posted a general note on their Facebook wall asking for help.

So, where should you start? The most popular social media platforms being used for Social Recruiting are LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. The latter is gaining popularity with services like TweetMyJobs, which has a record number of vertical job channels segmented by geography, job type and industry. Its goal is to instantaneously connect employers and recruiters with targeted job candidates.

Also, apps have been developed to make Social Recruiting easier. There's a Facebook app called CareerAmp that helps users manage the professional connections that they can make through their friends and friends-of-friends. With a few clicks, users can tap directly into their network of family and friends to figure out if they have relevant professional connections.

"Personal connections are vital when you're searching for a job, and a personal referral is the easiest, most effective way to get your resume on the inside track," says Richards. "The social network is impossible to ignore as a resource for tapping into these potential connections."