CareerBuilder.com Survey Urges Importance of Social Networking

So you’re still not convinced that social networking for business is meaningful?

CareerBuilder.com found that “22% of hiring managers said they use social networking sites to research job candidates, up from 11% in 2006, according to a nationwide survey of more than 3,100 employers. An additional 9% said they don’t currently use social networking sites, but plan to start.”

In today’s frightful job market, it is growing more important by the day to establish a broad professional presence on the internet.

The CareerBuilder.com report continues, “One-third (of said hiring managers) reported they found content that cause them to dismiss the candidate from consideration.”

Let’s face it, we live in a digital world now, everything is online – whether you like it or not. It’s time to start controlling what people see when they search for you. You have the power to show the masses what YOU want, not what someone else has published about you on the web.

“On the other hand, social networking profiles gave some job seekers an edge over the competition. Twenty-four percent of hiring managers who researched job candidates via social networking sites said they found content that helped to solidify their decision to hire the candidate,” CareerBuilder.com found.

Are you one of these people? Google your name. Go ahead, do it now.  What comes up? Anything? Maybe it’s time to give the people searching for you something to find, a set of professional profiles, managed by experts, to present yourself in the best possible manner.

“Hiring managers are using the internet to get a more well-rounded view of job candidates in terms of their skills, accomplishments and overall fit within the company,” said Rosemary Haefiner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com. “As a result, more job seekers are taking action to make their social networking profiles employer-friendly. Sixteen percent of workers who have social networking pages said they modified the content on their profile to convey a more professional image to potential employers.”

Haefner recommends the following tips to keep your online persona in a favorable light:

1. Clean up digital dirt. Make sure to remove pictures, content and links that can send the wrong message to a potential employer before you start your job search.
2. Update your profile regularly. Make sure to include specific accomplishments, inside and outside of wor
3. Monitor comments. Since you can’t control what other people say on your site, you may want to use the “block comments” feature.
4. Join groups selectively. While joining a group with a fun or silly name may seem harmless, “Party Monsters R Us” may not give the best impression to a hiring manager. Also be selective about who you accept as “friends.”

This can be a daunting task, both time consuming and difficult to do correctly. Social Harbor has a package specifically designed for professionals on the job hunt. We tailor-fit your new professional profiles to speak to potential employers. When you email or hand someone your resume, the first theing they’re going to do is Google your name. It’s time to take control of what they find, it’s time to have a credible online presence.

You can read the complete article about the survey results here.