Does your job search plan include using Social Media? If not, you should take a closer look. Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter and Myspace are great for socializing but can be a very powerful tool for your job search.

If used as part of your job search, Social Media can give a recruiter a view into your background and experience that might not be fully appreciated just by reading your resume.

Here are a few tips that will help you improve the effectiveness of your job search using Social Media.

• Clean up your Social Media profiles - companies are using Social Media sites to learn more about you. Your profiles should reflect the image you wish to portray to an employer. Display a professional image and communicate a consistent message.
• Organize your profiles - UnHub.com, a Social Media toolbar, (http://www.unhub.com) can help you organize your Social Media profiles. Unhub.com will allow you to link all of your profiles under one URL making it easy for a visitor to review all of your profile from one location. Here is an example: http://www.unhub.com/johnwalker. Use this URL as part of your contact information on your resume.
• Share your profiles - Create a badge or button that you can share with your connections. Facebook has this feature (http://www.facebook.com/badges.php). Share the code with your connections and ask them to place it on their blogs or personal home pages and help get the word out about your job search.
• Update your profiles - regular updates will keep your connections informed. Write updates about how your job search is progressing. Your contacts won't know how best to help you if you don't communicate with them.
• Use a little automation - Ping.fm (http://ping.fm) is a tool that allows you to update your social media profiles from one screen. It will save you a lot of time.

Social Media can be an effective and an important part of your job search, make it part your plan!

For more info: If you have questions about how to incorporate Social Media as part of your job search strategy, contact me directly, John Walker, Talent Evolution, your San Diego Job Search Examiner.