Not a Fan of Social Media?

Question:

I don’t like social networking! There’s too much drama and negativity. If people aren’t arguing or complaining, they’re posting about their romantic dates and what they’re eating for dinner. Why does everyone recommend social networking for job search?

Answer:

You’re in good company. Many people want nothing to do with social networking for the very reasons you mentioned.

However, before you give up on the idea, I’d encourage you to consider some more beneficial ways to use social networking.

Your experience of social networking will depend largely on who your friends are (this is often true of offline life as well.) Choosing the right forum is a good start to improving your experience.

LinkedIn is social networking for professional purposes. There is minimal drama; the only people who usually post about their dinner are chefs. In addition to their profiles, most people on LinkedIn post links to interesting articles in their fields, or information that’s of general interest. 

Another benefit to LinkedIn is that some 90% of companies use it to find candidates. You don’t have to use LinkedIn, of course, but you are probably eliminating yourself from jobs you might enjoy. 

Frederick County Workforce Services can help you get started with LinkedIn (and give you a glimpse of Facebook and Twitter too) in our seminar, The LinkedIn Connection. Check the calendar at frederickworks.com/events for dates and times that it will be offered. If you don’t already have an account, you can wait and start it in class. LinkedIn makes it very easy to invite everyone you’ve ever emailed to join you on LinkedIn immediately, and that’s the worst way to go about it. The LinkedIn Connection instructor will show you how to prevent that from happening. 

Don’t let the downsides of social media keep you away from the information and job openings you need!