10 Ways to Jumpstart Your Job Search Using Facebook

Facebook has changed dramatically in the past year, and has added significant features to help the job seeker. Please keep in mind, passive job seekers might want to limit some of the more public activities, so their search won’t be apparent to their current employer.

While Facebook started as a social network for kids, it’s grown up on its way to passing 350M members. Facebook’s largest segment is 30+ and there are now more grandparents than students on the world’s largest networking site. Facebook has also surpassed Google as the #1 site to search … for people.

Building a Facebook network can leverage your job search efforts, but only if you build the right network, and learn how to use Facebook as a communication tool.

Here are the 10 most effective ways I’ve found to use Facebook for your job search:

Prepare:

1. Clean up your profile – Start off with effective Online Reputation Management (http://recareered.blogspot.com/2010/01/online-reputation-management-4-steps-to.html) and audit your Facebook presence and remove comments or photos you wouldn’t want your Mom or Boss to see. Remove Facebook game applications that may give the impression that you’d play Mafia Wars on company time. Monitor your Facebook profile regularly.
2. Make yourself public – Update your Facebook security settings to make everything on your profile public. This helps employers and recruiters find you on Facebook, and makes more of your profile information searchable on Google.
3. Post your Resume – Posting your resume on Facebook can be as easy as saving it to Google docs or Box.net and posting the link to your info tab on your profile.
4. Build an Online Portfolio – Include links to examples of project work, reports, presentations, or a portfolio site you’ve built elsewhere (http://recareered.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-online-portfolios-put-you-at-top-of.html). You can include these links on your info tab, or build a custom Portfolio tab and store directly on Facebook.

Read Tips 6-10