Job Searching with Social Media (for Dummies)

A few months back, I wrote an article titled Like It or Not, Social Media is a Business Imperative with tips from Joshua Waldman, an expert in social media and founder of Career Enlightenment.
When I interviewed him, he told me he was hard at work on a new book, and I knew it was going to be good. He asked his publisher to send me an advance copy, and I am remarkably impressed.

Job Searching with Social Media for Dummiesis the latest in the "For Dummies" series, and it's chock-full of up-to-the-minute information that is valuable for any job seeker, and really for anyone who wants to make sure that their social media presence is helping them as they build their career.

There's far too much information in the book for me to even make a dent at it, as it is packed with different explanations, how-to tips, tools, shortcuts and websites that help you leverage social media for your job search.

As a job search coach who needs to keep up on the latest job search techniques and methods, I love this book. I am definitely going to continue to study this in depth, and predict that my copy will soon be filled with highlighted sections, bookmarks and notes.

If you are a job seeker, or just someone trying to get up to speed on using Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and the plethora of new tools that consolidate, integrate and your online presence, this book is the place to look.
Here are the things Joshua Waldman covers in the book:

• Why your online presence matters.
  Today, you can count on recruiters and hiring managers searching for you on Google and making a make-or-break decision on what they find. He says that 50% of hiring managers feel they can determine if a candidate is going to be a personality fit with their group based on their social profiles.
• Pay attention to how you brand yourself.
  Your online presence needs to be consistent and accurate to support your brand, and it's up to you to make sure that what comes up when someone puts your name into their Google search box makes you look good.
• LinkedIn is the best tool for professional networkers today. Period.
  He goes into all of the details about how to make your LinkedIn profile complete, persuasive and enticing to employers, including how to expand your profile, get and give recommendations and use groups to your best advantage.
• Expand your online presence to increase your chances of being found.

More advice and complete article