Hop on the social media train if you are looking to find your next job. The majority of recruiters use some sort of Social Media every day. Some staffing companies do not use Job Boards like Monster and CareerBuilder at all. They solely rely on Social Media outlets like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other lesser-known sites. I personally carry a smart phone and am constantly on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. I will post jobs constantly on the 3 sites and receive responses on them as quickly as I receive e-mail.

According to a survey by Jobvite in July, 92% of recruiters said they now use social media to find talent, up from 89% last year, and 83% in 2010. The most compelling data to come from the study, which polled more than 1,000 human resource and recruiting managers online, was that 73% of those surveyed said they hired a new employee via social media.

When it comes to the particular social networking sites, LinkedIn remains king among recruiters with 93% of respondents saying they use the site to find job candidates.

In second place is Facebook, with two-thirds of those polled saying they use the site, up substantially from 55% last year. Twitter is also gaining traction, with 54% saying they look for talent on the site.

The steps to successfully board the social media Train include the following:

1)    Create a profile with a professional photo on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and any other site that has a presence.

2)    Connect with groups that match your skill set, industry leaders, friends, and colleagues.

3)    On Twitter, you should follow local Job sites, recruiters, staffing agencies, and user groups.

4)    Don’t be afraid to send messages directly to recruiters. Recruiters are on social media sites because they want to be contacted.

Enjoy your Social Media ride.

Jeremy

Follow me on Twitter @jeremydreynolds, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+