SMC offers social networking workshop

At any given moment, you can usually spot someone – if not multiple people – hunched over their phones or other electronic devices checking the latest status updates. Besides being a medium for social calls, various social networking sites are becoming the next big thing for job hunting. Last Thursday in the Math Complex here at SMC, Jenna Gausman gave a short lecture on the importance of utilizing social networks and the impact that they have in helping you begin your career.

In such a short amount of time so much has changed at the hands of social networking. Companies are looking for online applications, Facebook profiles are becoming the new resume, and a company can potentially hire you without you ever seeing the face of your manager before the first day.

But as we step into the age of the Jetsons, people also have to learn how to utilize these sites to take the most advantage of them. In her lecture, Gausman mentioned three sites in particular: Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

While your peers not on Facebook may appear far and few in between, the website has become much more than a way to connect with your buddies. Major businesses have created profiles and are continuously posting job opportunities and information on internships. So it's a great place to see what is going on at the company you might be interested in.

But even more importantly, employers are now looking at the profiles of their applicants in order to see what they're really like. All they have to do is Google your name, and see what comes up, which means that people have to be a lot more careful about what they put on Facebook. You never know what could be standing in the way of you and your dream job.

Twitter is another common communication path between employee and employer. Companies will post internships and applications via Twitter, and like Facebook, it's a way for companies to see what kind of person you are during everyday life.

Gausman also suggested LinkedIn for more legitimate career opportunities; the site is devoted to making business connections between people. No matter what field an applicant is interested in you can make connections on this site.

People who have worked together or employed each other can find each other on LinkedIn and connect to others in the same field. People post their resumes and make connections with people who work at various companies. "A lot of recruitments these days are happening over LinkedIn," said Gausman.

While some students with little experience might be hesitant to create a profile, Gausman encourages it. "It's a great idea to make a profile, get it started, put whatever experience you have, and slowly build up your profile," she said.

"Besides maybe being able to grab an internship, you'll slowly build up your profile, make more connections and get in touch with the right people. So when the time is right, you have a leg up on the competition," said Gausman.

As social networking becomes a bigger staple of our generation, there is a whole new etiquette to follow to make sure we are masters at utilizing the newest technologies. Gausman suggests these are the things that could be the difference in succeeding at your chosen path.