Some rumours have it that the recession is nearing an end, other rumours say that the end is not yet in sight, but no matter which rumours you believe, finding a job is still damn difficult. Jobs are still being cut at an alarming rate and any vacancies that arise are snapped up more quickly than you can say “curriculum vitae”. But we’re living in a world dominated by social media and that, experts say, is where the battles for employment are now being fought.

Newspaper classifieds are going the way of the dodo, recruitment agencies and even online jobs boards have seen the light and are doing a lot of their investigating through social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and yes, Twitter. And if you, as a job hopeful, aren’t active on these sites, you can bet your briefcase that you’re losing out.

According to research in the good ole’ US of A, LinkedIn is the social network of choice for both employees and aspirant employees. It has a more professional feel to it than Facebook and Twitter, and the less said about MySpace the better. Jim Durbin of St Louis based Durbin Media broke it down like this:

• LinkedIn tells others who you are
• Facebook tells other who you know
• Twitter tells others what you’re doing now

Of course it’s not quite as simple as that, there are obviously areas where they all overlap, but Durbin nailed the gist of it.

However, which social network you use will depend on where you are in the world. LinkedIn is very popular in the US as business networking tool. Business issues are discussed, contacts are made and shared and there are no pictures of drunken Saturday nights, even if they are the aftermath of a high-powered business conference. But, LinkedIn is not the social network of choice in many other countries. It’s gaining credence in the UK, but in South Africa it’s still largely ignored (although the following is growing), so while South Africans shouldn’t dismiss it, they shouldn’t place all their hopes on it either.

In fact, South Africans might be better off using the less professional social sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, which are very popular and getting more so among older age brackets, i.e. those that are likely to know of job opportunities, or know of someone who knows someone who knows of job opportunities, and are willing to share that knowledge with their circle of friends. And, as we know, the circle of online friends extends very far indeed.

The downside to this, of course, is that you have to be very careful how you conduct yourself online. Those high school pictures of you mooning the chess club will come back to bite you in the … moonshine region. Being tagged in the pictures from your best friends bachelor party, with your tie around your head and someone’s tongue in your ear could also have an adverse effect on your job prospects as a neurosurgeon or district attorney (although they could stand you in good stead if you want to become a politician or national sports hero).

You need to be selective about the groups that you join – try not to join any ‘hate’ groups and, if possible, don’t become a fan of Boyzone. Limit your use expletives and foul language and whatever you do, don’t trash your old boss and your old job and don’t broadcast company secrets. Pathological malice and the overt need for revenge aren’t going to get you very far with people who could potentially be in the firing line at some point in the future.

It’s still way too soon to tell if recruitment via social media will have any legal ramifications. Those with an eye to equality and fair practice have already argued against using social networks as a recruitment aid because it leaves so many people out of the loop. In a way, it’s a very elitist method to use. To stretch a stereotype, usually only middle to upper-class citizens frequent social media sites, because they’re the ones who have easy access to the net and all the benefits it brings. There is the very real danger that the people who are most in need of the boost social media sites can give them will be sidelined simply because they don’t have the right connections, relationship and telecommunications wise.

There is also the danger that even if you take extra special care on Facebook or Twitter, you’ll be tripped up by the simple, supposedly innocuous information you choose to share, such as your sexual orientation, race or physical disability.

Trying to find a job is like walking a minefield, you really need to watch your step. Using social media to find a job is like walking a minefield on tall stilts while juggling chainsaws. But, by leveraging all the tools at your disposal, online and off, you can give yourself the edge, which is what it takes to nab a job, really.

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