As the new year gets underway, now is a good time for job seekers to ramp up their social media networking skills to help strengthen their job search in 2012. According to Forbes, candidates should first take control of their "digital persona" by removing anything online they don't want a potential employer to see. John Decker, executive vice president of TMI Executive Resources, said job seekers need to next expand their social media network. "Even better than using social networking reactively when applying for a position is to use the tools to build a broad, proactive network," Decker noted. "Spend some time every week to use social media to raise awareness, remind and refresh their network that they are looking, and convey their brand." Social media can also be a great way for job seekers to not only post their resume, but to research opportunities that might not otherwise be public. Decker suggested that candidates pick 5 or 6 companies and read their online updates to stay on top of industry trends and potential job openings. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there were approximately 3.3 million job openings in the U.S. as of November 2011. |