Social media networking

Networking is perhaps more important today than ever before, and the old adage “it's not what you know but who you know” couldn’t be more relevant.

With roughly 70% of jobs roles going unadvertised, being linked in to a network of people across a wide range of industries is the best way to keep your finger on the pulse in terms of what’s out there.

Linked In

Linked In is an online professional networking community with over 75 million worldwide users in over 200 countries. It's continually growing, with a new member joining approximately every second.

LinkedIn is currently the foremost business networking site. It's an ideal way to network across different sectors, look for and talk to potential employers but more importantly talk directly to key stake holders and decision makers in organisations of interest.

According to its creators; “LinkedIn exists to help you make better use of your professional network and help the people you trust in return. Our mission is to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.”

It's a great tool for:

• Contacting key people within organisations
• Linking to peer groups of like minded individuals
• Gaining industry insights via forums
• Making introductions and referrals
• Accessing industry specific information
• Gaining commercial awareness

It's not:

• Facebook!
• A place to vent about fellow employees and employers
• A chat site
• A way to expand your social network

Getting started with LinkedIn:

To get started download our presentation How to use network marketing via LinkedIn (.pdf). This covers: What Linked In is, how to set up your profile, how to build your networks, how to use your networks, how to target specific contacts and how to maintain visibility.

LinkedIn have also produced 6 video guides aimed at graduates:

1. What is LinkedIn?
2. Building your professional brand
3. Finding your career passion
4. Building a professional network
5. Turning relationships into opportunities
6. Researching and prepping for interviews

A word of warning

'Googling' prospective candidates is a relatively common practice amongst employers and you should be mindful of any potentially damaging information about yourself that might be online.

Moving from Facebook to LinkedIn(.pdf) is a guide from MyGraduateCareer.com which offers some really good practical advice on the difference between Facebook and LinkedIn and how to make sure you're not sharing too much personal information online.

Useful articles and resources

• You've been Googled: what employers don't want to see in your online profile - article in the Guardian Careers Blog
• Why a traditional CV isn't always enough - article in the Guardian Careers Blog
• Don't let Facebook harm your career - tips from newteachers.tes
• The Job-Seekers Guide to Twitter - blog entry from Stirling Graduate Club
• Twitter basics - How to guides from Twitter