Whoever said that...

Whoever said that looking for work is a full-time job is obviously employed. The job search is more like being self-employed. There's no one telling you what to do and you only get paid if you produce!
If this is the case, the importance of thinking strategically about the job search must be at the forefront. The problem, however, is that the job search is often a reactionary process due to the stress of losing a job or the need to make a transition into another position. Both of these work against the job seeker, from a psychological as well as a tactical perspective.
Psychologically, the signs are usually expected and clear. For example, there may be an onset of mild depression which causes an inability to focus on the task at hand. Tactically, the job seeker may be unrealistic about their job choice — as the job search goes on, this can potentially mean wasting valuable time and energy.
So what can the job seeker do?
Thinking strategically about the job search from the beginning is vital in order to reduce the time it takes to find a job. Most often, the job seeker focuses on their ideal job, their "dream job," the one they've been trained to do. The problem here, though, is that this typically limits the job related opportunities available to us.
The strategic job seeker, on the other hand, actually runs a parallel job search.
Prior to commencing with the job search, it's important to look for your "dream job," but to also look for opportunities that support you eventually getting your ideal position. Those supporting jobs should meet the criteria you have set for moving you closer to getting your dream job. For example, if you want to be a teacher, you need to list all the skills and experiences required to be a competent teacher: teaching, curriculum development, leadership, etc. Taking those skills and finding them in other jobs will not only build your competencies but also position you as highly competitive when you do get an interview as a teacher. Taking a job as a tutor starts to make more sense when you know you can acquire the skills necessary to increase your value to the employer.
It's important to think long term when it comes to the job search. Strategically determining your job search path is critical if you want to effectively and efficiently make the transition to the labor market. Although taking a job other then your dream position may feel wrong, it's more about how the job you're taking fits into becoming more competitive in the labor pool. Get strategic about your job search and you will reap the benefits down the road!

Courtesy of the November 2009 Flownotes

Watch the Bing!

Have you “Binged” yourself yet to find out what Microsoft’s new “decision engine” says about you? Well, here is yet another reason to double-check your online footprint for the sake of your career.

CareerBuilder.com is launching a new Applicant Explorer tool which runs on the Bing API. The tool matches resumes in the Careerbuilder database with an applicant’s online “brand.” In seconds, the tool will help HR reps screen candidates by pulling relevant data from the following sources and displaying it all on one neat page, at least according to Careerbuilder.com:

Social networking sites
Professional and personal blogs
Personal and corporate Web sites
Press releases
Discussion and forum postings
Articles and news stories published online

We may be entering a brave new world of recruiting. But there are quite a few reasons why this development may not be that significant:
A Google search already returns the most relevant info about a candidate on the first page
Many people don’t have that many data points about them online so the tool won’t be that useful
Having an “online brand” isn’t necessary for many jobs
Power players don’t really need to use social media platforms
Some people will turn their privacy settings up a notch to cover their tracks while others will continue to game the system, thus clouding any conclusions one could make

The Applicant Explorer tool is free if you have a CareerBuilder.com account. Would this new tool make you more likely to sign up?

Article by By Stefan Deeran, BNET.

The Cover Letter Blues?

by Sean Silverthorne at BNET

I always include a cover letter when I send in a resume to apply for a new job. That’s what you are supposed to do according to every “how to get a job” article I’ve read.

But here comes business writing teacher David Silverman with some contrary advice: For most jobs, “don’t bother” with a cover letter. He says they only compete with (and often just repeat) what’s in your resume, which is the real meal to be digested by the prospective employer.

That said, Silverman does agree cover letters are necessary when either you know the name of the hiring person, you know something about the job qualifications, or you’ve been referred by someone. (Uh, why would you apply for a job you don’t know anything about? But I digress)

Look, I’m still going out on a limb and suggest you send a cover letter with any job application. But when you do so, follow David’s guidelines laid out on Harvard Business Publishing in his post The Best Cover Letter I Ever Received. In essence he says keep it simple, and ”help your cause by doing some of the resume analysis for your potential new boss.”

He gives an example of his idea of the perfect cover letter. It’s a scant 75 words long, which adds to its power and makes it stand out.

As someone who has hired a few people over the years, I find that many cover letters often do more harm than good. The biggest sins, in addition to typos:

Hyperbole. ”I think you will find by looking at my resume that I am uniquely qualified to fill the role you need.” That term, which is used in every third cover letter, causes my eyes to glaze over. Other cover letter word bombs: “proven leader”, “excelled in all previous positions”, and “dynamic speaker.” Sure, tout your best assets (”I have extensive large-scale-project management experience”), but don’t oversell (”Previous employers marvel at my mastery of project management.)

Dear Hiring Manager. Someone who sends a form letter rather than takes the time to write a personal message expressly discussing the job at hand is too lazy by half. Address why the position appeals to you.

Too Long. The purpose of the resume and cover letter is not to get you the job. It’s to get you an interview. No hiring manager has time to read through your bio-epic. In fact, the more you blather on, the more potential reasons you are feeding the employer to discard your application. “Her favorite food is mac cheese? I hate mac cheese. Good bye!”

To cover letter or not to cover letter? What ingredients do you think are essential for a successful cover page?

Job Market Update

The Olivier Job Index recorded another fall in online jobs in May with a 4.32% decline, seasonally adjusted. On an annualised basis job advertisements are down 51.9% compared to May 2007.Signs that the downturn in recruitment may be bottoming, include:

The rate of decline is decreasing – this month's fall is a big improvement on the 7.43% fall in April, which, in turn, was a significant improvement on May when ads fell 12.51%.

Whilst the number of permanent opportunities fell, the number of temporary and contract vacancies actually rose 5.9% in May.

The number of adverts counted between week one and week four in May rose.

Sectors that have most improved in May include Accounting, Sales & Marketing (including retail) and IT&T.

Courtesy of Six Figures International Pty Ltd

Five Resume-Formatting Mistakes

Here at TheLadders, we look at a lot of resumes and talk to a lot of people on both sides of the desk: the job seekers who are sending them out as well as the recruiters and HR pros on the receiving end.

To pass muster with hiring decision makers (as well as the software systems they use to screen candidates), the format of your resume is crucial. Here are five common missteps that can eliminate your resume from consideration:

1. Keep it short, but don’t squeeze.While a resume may occasionally run to three pages if the candidate is making a major career switch and needs data to back it up, most resume experts recommend two pages. But don’t succumb to the temptation to shrink fonts or margins to pack in more information: Text should be at least 10 or 10.5 points, and margins should be no smaller than 0.5 inch.

2. “Death by bullets.”An unbroken block of text is hard to read, and bullets a great way to call out distinct points. But use bullet points sparingly, and be sure to include the most important ones first. A resume riddled with bullets can be even harder for your reader to navigate.

3. Don’t get hung up on the calendar.Traditional reverse-chronological resume formatting isn’t always the best tool to sell your skills, especially at the senior level. Instead, consider a hybrid resume that combines both functional and chronological information. A summary section can outline career highlights and key qualities and accomplishments, while a chronological section puts those elements into context.

4. No pictures, no PDFs.Multimedia technology has made it easier than ever before to include elements such as photographs or save your electronic resume in a format such as PDF. Don’t do either: Photos can choke many applicant tracking systems (ATSes) and cause difficulties with HR departments’ anti-discrimination rules, while Microsoft Word remains the standard that ATS software is capable of processing.

5. Don’t forget the file name.It’s easy to sweat the resume format only to choke on one small detail: What do you name that electronic file? According to a report, “Resume Filename Best Practices” from executive recruiters Palladian International of Waynesboro, Va., plenty of job seekers surveyed included extraneous information in file names, such as version date or “final,” “revised” or “updated.” Palladian recommends dividing words with a dash — and again, use Microsoft Word 2003’s .doc format, not PDF, Rich Text, or other oddities.

Matthew Rothenberg is editorial director for TheLadders, the world's leading online service catering exclusively to the $100K+ job market. Previously he worked at Ziff Davis Media, ZDNet, CNET, and Hachette Filipacchi.

Save Your Resume From The Bin!

Thank your stars you are not applying for a job with David Silverman. How you create a hyphen on your resume could very likely decide whether you go into David’s “considers further merit” pile or the “thanks but no thanks” collection.

“Personally, I look at the width of the dashes,” writes Silverman on his Harvard Business Publishing post How to Write a Résumé That Doesn’t Annoy People, noting that Microsoft Word adjusts hyphen widths based on spacing in the document. “Many people don’t know this, and they don’t notice that their dashes are all different lengths. Does this mean they are more or less qualified to be a project planner? I don’t know, but it’s easy for me to say, ‘If you don’t know that your own résumé is inconsistent, how can you be expected to supervise a multi-million dollar project?’”

Fact is every hiring officer probably has his or her own unique set of prejudices that set off little alarm bells as they read through job applications. I, for example, would look askance at David’s resume because he uses at least one too many accent marks for my liking on the word résumé, which seem to me (and my dictionary) an unnecessary bit of French pastry on a word that probably does fine without any at all.

But David’s post is very strong at reminding us of resume blunders that will probably matter to any number of potential employers.

Here are three he includes:
“Get the formatting right. Line up bullet points, dates, headings. Wacky spacing will get you questioned about skills that have nothing to do with what you can do on the job. And please learn to put dates flush against the right margin. The right-aligned tab stop remains a mystery as deep as an ocean for many resume writers.

“Choose verbs that mean something. “Assisted,” “Worked on,” “Contributed to” and so on don’t convey much to a prospective employer. Instead, say what you did: “Wrote,” “Designed,” or “Managed.” The more specific, the better.

“Rewrite your résumé for each job application. If you really want a job, your prospective employer isn’t going to be impressed by your inability to adjust one 3-page document to meet their needs. Highlight the top 3 to 7 things you’ve done that match up with the requirements of the job.”

David is right. This kind of attention to detail and consistency will help your resume jump out from the more typical collection of sloppy typos, vague verbs and generic boilerplate language. Make sure to read the full post for other useful tips.

So, what’s the worst resume ever to cross your desk? Any peculiarities you bring to your own judging of resumes?

Courtesy of Sean Silverthorne, BNET INSIGHT

Invest in Colleagues

A long time ago I worked with the president of a sales rep company. We stayed in touch, and years later he asked me for a reference. Of course I obliged. A couple of years later, when a CEO friend of his was looking for a marketing and sales VP, he referred the guy to me. It turned out to be an incredible opportunity and I got the job.

In the mid-90s, I met an engaging VP of a startup company. We sort of hit it off and got together to discuss business from time to time. Over the years I advised him on matters concerning his company. So when the marketing VP position opened up, I got a call and eventually got the job, which turned out to be another great opportunity.

In neither instance did I stop to consider that I might eventually benefit as I ultimately did.

These are just two personal examples, but I know dozens more that demonstrate that taking the time to get to know and proactively help colleagues can come back to help your career in a big way.

And don’t mistake this as just networking or karma. While I’m a big fan of both - especially old school networking - this goes way beyond that. This is about engaging with like-minded, perhaps up-and-coming individuals, like you, and being confident, adventurous, and giving enough to readily offer assistance and counsel.

For it to work, you need to remember three things:

You have to be in it for the long haul. The two examples above took place over 13 and 7 years, respectively. By definition, this sort of thing takes a long, long time.

You can’t do it gratuitously. I know, here I am offering this as a method for boosting your career, then telling you that you can’t just do it for that reason. Well, that’s just the way it is. You really do have to be passionate about the business and enjoy interacting with and helping others like you.

Choose your close associates wisely. You meet thousands of people over the course of your career and, if you pay attention, you’ll find a zillion ways to help them. It’s all too easy to spread yourself too thin. Choose your associates as you would choose your friends … wisely and judiciously. Of course, they’ll do the same.

Lastly, this sort of symbiotic way of building your career results in a far more rewarding professional life than by dealing with all those headhunters and executive recruiters. But that’s just me. Got any similar or dissimilar experiences?

Courtesy Steve Tobak, The Corner Office

Job Ads Pick UP!

This month's UBS Investment Research from Economist Scott Haslem looks at the job ad market and the promising signs of an earlier than expected recovery. The research shows "a pick up of job ads last month and suggests that the ANZ job ad series for May could show some levelling-out after its sharp falls over the past 7 months." As the job ad downward cycle looks to be bottoming out, growth in job ads could be seen earlier than expected in late 2009 rather than sometime in 2010. With this we could also see less dire unemployment figures than have been bandied about at the 9%-10% mark. A recent NAB survey suggests that this figure could be below 8%. It is promising that figures and research is suggesting a more positive outlook on the Australian employment front.

Social Networking...the pathway to a new career?

The increasing popularity of online social networking is changing not only the way people manage their careers but social networking itself.

As the downturn continues, millions of corporate managers—gripped by the job jitters—are rushing to join online social networks in a scramble to build their social capital. The popularity of sites such as LinkedIn is soaring: less than a year ago the site had little brand profile and was seen mostly as a venue for corporate suits trolling for professional contacts while plotting their next career move. Facebook, by contrast, has largely attracted individuals seeking a compelling site for fun social networking.

Today LinkedIn’s year-on-year growth is up nearly 200 percent in the United States and it now has more than 35 million members—many of whom were formerly employed within the hard-hit financial sector. And it’s just one of the many sites to which recession-struck managers are flocking: Xing (based in Germany), with its 7 million members and special Lehman Brothers alumni section, and Meet the Boss (based in the United Kingdom), which restricts membership to C-level financial types, are also experiencing burgeoning membership levels.

This surging popularity of online social networking is transforming the nature of business networking, with profound implications for the way business people manage their careers. But it also augurs profound change for social networking itself.

With so many people stampeding into Web-based social networks, the line between social and business networking is becoming increasingly blurred. An important question is whether the values and codes of conduct specific to the virtual world will come into conflict with real-world values and norms. Facebook, where the idea of a “friend” is directly embedded in the interface, is increasingly cluttered with self-promoters, career artists, and marketing entrepreneurs. What happens as this trend intensifies and those using Facebook exclusively for career networking invade?

There are, of course, powerful economic reasons behind the trend. As sociologist Nan Lin puts it in his book, Social Capital, “Individuals engage in interactions and networking in order to produce profits.” These profits are based upon information, influence, social credentials, and recognition. The accumulated social capital, meanwhile, helps individuals to gain competitive advantages in the labor market as a result of privileged access to “resources” located on the social networks.

Article by Soumitra Dutta and Matthew Fraser, Courtesy of The McKinsey Quarterly

Network your way

This time of year is ripe with both relief and anxiety for recent MBA graduates. While the pressure of final projects and exams has passed, grads who haven’t landed a job yet might be feeling the weight of those loan payments about to kick in.

I recently spoke with Sara Gaviser Leslie, a Columbia Business School MBA who is currently a case writer at Stanford University Graduate School of Business, about the importance of networking when searching for your first post MBA job. She graduated in 2002, and, like members of this year’s graduating class, found jobs somewhat hard to come by. But she was hired in July of that year, and has successfully networked her way to many fulfilling jobs since then. Here are some of her tips for getting the most out of your networking efforts.

1. Put your research skills to use: Gaviser Leslie started her post MBA job search by making a list detailing the kind of job she wanted, then searched databases to find people who did similar jobs at places she wanted to work. She followed up twice, then dropped it if she didn’t hear back. While predictably there were many people she didn’t hear back from, the takeaway is that several contacted her.

2. Ask for informational interviews: People will be more apt to meet with you if you express interest in finding out more about their job, rather than asking them if they can get you a position in their company. When Gaviser Leslie went on these informational interviews, she tried to be as specific as possible about what she wanted to do in her career, which made it easier for people to suggest others she should get in touch with. “I also made it a goal to leave these meetings with the name of at least one other person I could talk to,” she says.

3. Extend your network: Cold emailing company directories isn’t the only way to network with potential employers. Gaviser Leslie recommends extending your network by asking your peers what their parents or siblings are doing and asking for an introduction if it seems like they could help.

4. Be organized: Gaviser Leslie kept a detailed spreadsheet of everyone she spoke with, which was not only a valuable resource for her, but for friends who were later looking for jobs. Also, “when you’re methodical you feel like you’re getting something done,” says Gaviser Leslie. This in itself can be a valuable morale booster when you’re in the midst of the job search process.

Courtesy of the Stacy Blackman Blog

Switching Jobs In A Recession

Generally speaking, deciding to switch professions in an era of spiraling unemployment is a pretty good definition of a career death wish. Even in the best of times, it’s hard to persuade a hiring manager to consider you over someone who has a record in the field. The hurdle gets ridiculously higher in a recession, when employers have their pick of overqualified applicants.

Still, if you work in a shriveling industry like asset securitisation, auto manufacturing, or print publishing, you have to ask, What’s the alternative? If doing nothing means your livelihood will go down with the ship, well, you have your answer. You have no choice.

On the upside, a few professions are having labor shortages even in this economy. But don’t kid yourself: Changing careers will be tough. In times like these, the standard advice from career coaches to patiently evaluate your skills and reposition yourself becomes something of a joke. You’re going to have to take extreme measures, so think it through!

Contribution by Chris Warren.

Careers & Employment Expo

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29th - 30th May 2009

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Friday 9am - 4pm + Saturday 10am - 4pm

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Be seen, Be heard, Be there!

Word-of-Mouth Hiring

For some years now companies have been cutting out the 'middle man' and setting up their own internal recruitment referral system, rewarding employees for finding their new colleagues! And it has worked, capitalising on the whole concept of networking. Now, even more, internal referral programs are gaining ground, not only to save time and maximise quality recruitment, but of course as a cost cutting exercise.

Last year at Coca-Cola Amatil, 28% of external hires were recruited from an employee referral program. Companies like Oracle Corporation have operated referral programs for years.

The message? It's not just about using social and professional networking tools, but also word-of-mouth, friends, relatives and previous colleagues. Many people are now starting to be critical of the internet networking tools. I say, don't avoid it, perfect it! Don't be silent, use word-of-mouth to help you with your career.

Gossip: The Key to Career Success?

I’ve always told my reports to discount gossip they hear around the water cooler. But according to Daisy Wademan Dowling, I’ve been dispensing very poor career advice.“You’re more likely to get the dirt on layoffs from standing around the water cooler than from scanning your email for an official announcement,” she writes on her Harvard Business Publishing blog post, The Truth About Office Rumors. “And unlike in high school, Hollywood or politics, the rumors in an organization are true most of the time. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”Tapping into the office information network, whether it’s an overheard conversation at the Xerox machine or a brief exchange in the elevator with the VP of Sales’ admin assistant, is something you need to tap into, says Dowling, “if you want to make good decisions, work more effectively, and to get ahead in your job, both in the short- and long- term.”But Dowling’s advice, I believe, comes with a big fuse attached that could easily blow up in your face. Let’s leave aside the question of whether you will be making “good decisions” based upon what Bob in shipping overheard Mary in forecasting say while on a butt break with Syd, the air conditioning guy.The bigger danger is getting a rep as a gossiper. Chances are you know who in your own organization is a little loose with the facts, too often seen chatting up co-workers in the hallway, the guy or gal who always seems to know a little bit more than they should and is happy to share.This is the same person you don’t call when you need important work done, have sensitive material to handle or a promotion to make.Daisy says the idea is not to propagate gossip but rather to employ a little honest social networking to find out about, say, that soon-to-be open job in the New York office.I’m just saying there is a steep downside for those of us who don’t play this game with skill. So my advice remains: Discount what you hear around the water cooler and act on that information at your own risk.What do you think? What actions have you taken successfully or otherwise based on cube chatter? How do you escape being labled the dreaded office gossip?

Article by Sean Silverthorne

The Power of Online Connectivity

More than ever before, the internet is a resource for accessing opportunities that drive an individual’s career development. Websites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn have provided an access point for individuals to tap into the social resources that exist on the internet. The key thing to remember, though, is that it is only access to the tools being provided, not a guarantee of results. Time, effort, and attention are all required, and doing the right things for the right reason is essential if a return on the investment is going to occur.When thinking about the hidden job market it’s important to spend some time helping the job seeker focus on the contacts in their network. A majority of contacts may not have the ability to make hiring decisions, so the individual may be wary of utilizing these relationships to further their career.Remind them that these contacts also have relationships and contacts of their own that may connect them to the job-related information they seek. This is, after all, the true meaning of networking — and, in most cases, is also where the most credible job opportunities are found since the contacts are verifiable resources of information.Leveraging social media as a viable job search tool can be a powerful vehicle for job seekers. The key to utilizing social media is to find a way to get an individual’s existing connections to work for them. For example, they will want to spread the word to let people know that they are in the process of conducting a job search. That way, their contacts can keep a lookout for job opportunities on their behalf.As long as the job seeker is clear on what type of information they are seeking, the possibility of contacts coming across helpful job-related information — and actually considering it for the job seeker’s purposes — will dramatically increase.So here are four tips for helping a job seeker leverage the power of social media:Make sure they have a purpose. In other words, ensure that they are aware of why they are visiting these sites in the first place. This will help them focus their message and increases the likelihood that someone will actually be able to help.Determine how they will measure success. Are they seeking specific industry information, job leads, contacts? Once they determine what they are looking for they can easily see if the time they are spending is worth it.Figure out what they can offer. Get the job seeker to think of things that they can contribute to their network. Perhaps they bring with them information on a particular industry or have a list of contacts they can share with others. Whatever it is, it is essential they have something to offer those who are willing to help.Don’t worry about the numbers. It’s not how many friends or followers they have on the social networking websites that matters. It is much more important to focus on the quality of the individuals with whom they are connected, and on how they are able to leverage those contacts to help them. Reming them that the actual job leads are usually beyond the first or second degree of separation.Social media can be intimidating even in the best of times. But if job seekers follow the four tips presented here, they can start off on the right foot and think strategically about their approach.Remember, it takes time ­— and is often quite the juggling act — to tap into the power of online social networking websites. It is essential that job seekers develop a plan and stick to it. They’ll be surprised how powerful it can be.

Article from Flownotes International

Six Degrees of Separation: Is it the key to the hidden job market?

Article from Flowork International

In 2003, research emerging out of Columbia University finally corroborated the age-old notion of “six degrees of separation” as legitimate, suggesting we are all much more connected than we realize.In the face of increasingly negative media reports respecting the present economic situation, should we embrace this logic in seeking employment?It has been said that 80% of jobs are hidden. In other words, there may be job opportunities available with contacts (or byway of a contact’s contacts) within an individual’s network. This clearly valuable information is often missed by job seekers. After all, with the rise in popularity of “cyber” social networking sites, including Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, the focus has been increasingly on establishing new connections. Ironically, though, as most of us focus on expanding our list of contacts, we have little awareness that our own circle of friends and family could potentially offer a veritable wealth of job-related resources.Thus, if the science supporting “six degrees of separation” is true, we must find ways to help not only job hunters, but employment agencies, government program managers, HR professionals, and recruiters alike.Flowork founder Dr. John-Paul Hatala suggests that few of us know how to truly tap into our existing social network and gain access to that elusive hidden job market. “There are several research-supported solutions,” he says, “which can arm the newly unemployed with the know-how and confidence needed to make headway in the face of an increasingly daunting job-search.”Dr. Hatala’s research and associated training programs reveal that the main challenge facing job seekers, in terms of leveraging one’s own social network, is a profoundly yet deceptively simple one: how to strategically use it.Indeed, most of us fail to think strategically about our social networks, Hatala suggests. People do not know how to approach their circle of friends and broach the topic. The good news, Hatala goes on to say, is that it is a trainable and learnable skill-set.“Strategic social networking” then, will be a key for many of us these days, in order to penetrate what seems to an otherwise elusive, “hidden” job market. After all, the unemployment rate currently is the highest it has been for some time. By learning to leverage one’s social network, however, one can avoid becoming a statistic.The answer, if the research is any indicator, may be less than six degrees away. It may be as close as your existing social network. According to Dr. Hatala, the necessary strategy and specific know-how in terms of how to leverage our social networks may thus be the distinguishing factor which determines the success of some job hunters versus others, vis-à-vis this “hidden” job market that so many of us are now facing.

Social Networking is Career Networking

Article from Flowork International

Preston Porter joined MySpace four years ago as a way to meet new people at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in Galloway Township.Now a college senior, Porter is using MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and other social networking programs just to get a job.“I understand (social networking) in an organic sort of way. I’ve always participated in and enjoyed those types of things,” said Porter, 22, of Lavalette, Ocean County. “Now it’s turned into this whole industry thing where companies are using it to market themselves and to do job searches.”Rather than condemning Facebook and Twitter as a waste of time, college career counselors are touting them as useful tools when it comes to post-collegiate job search.Every little bit helps, especially in today’s job market. A recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, or NACE, reported that companies will be hiring 22 percent fewer college graduates this year than they did in 2008.Career advisors at Stockton were inspired to start hosting workshops on Facebook job searching two years ago after attend a conference hosted by the NACE. There they learned that many businesses are setting up Facebook accounts and vetting prospective clients based on their profiles.“Once we sat in on that, it was like, ‘Wow, we’ve never really thought about this,’” said Walter Tarver, director of Stockton’s career center. “We set up our own accounts to see what was going on with those sites. It was an eye-opening experience.”Now, when students show up at Stockton’s career center for counseling, they get a crash course in Social Networking 101. Today’s employers want to see everything about their future employees, from their job history to their tastes in books and music.“We make sure they have (on their Facebook profiles) their degree, when they’re graduating, what their interests are, as opposed to just the generic comments and ‘What are you doing right now?,’ updates,” Tarver said.Jennifer Gushue, an adjunct professor of marketing at Rowan University in Glassboro, Gloucester County, advises her students to use LinkedIn, a Facebook-esque site created primarily for networking and job searching.“They can look at the contacts for people in the industries they’re interested in,” Gushue said. “You can also have your resume on there, and you can have former internships to write you recommendations.”Porter, who will graduate in May with a literature degree, took it one step further and created his own Web site, called Prestopedia.com.The Web site includes Porter’s resume, contact information, blogs, short stories and links to his profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and MySpace.In his blog, Porter wrote about being inspired by media experts such as Dan Schawbel, whose new book, “Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success,” promotes using social media tools in building a career.Despite his creative writing background, Porter views social networking as his best chance of landing a job after graduation. He spent the summer setting up a viral campaign for a pet store in Missouri as an internship, and he continues to study the marketing efforts of major companies to learn what works and what does not.“A lot of PR companies claim to understand how the social media market works, but unless you live on those social media sites and know what to do and not to do, it’s tough,” Porter said. “A lot of companies are missing this, and that’s where I think I can come through on the creative writing side of it.”Porter has tried pushing his friends in a similar direction, advising them to update their Facebook pages or start a blog. But he has found that some still do not believe that companies put much stock in social networking.“I think a lot of people are ignoring this fact, thinking, ‘Employers aren’t going to look at my Facebook. They’re not going to bother looking at my Twitter,’” Porter said. “But whether you want to participate in it or not, it’s important to at least realize that employers are looking at this.”In that same vein, career counselors are advising students to keep inappropriate content, especially photos, off their Facebook and MySpace pages.“Companies now realize they can track your social media footprint,” Gushue said. “If your Facebook profile is filled with illegal, inappropriate or unprofessional images or thoughts, that could hurt you.”