Here is a job search tool you must have in today’s U.S. employment marketplace… which has been called by many in the media the worst since the 1930s. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of January 2012, reports the official unemployment rate to be 8.5% which translates to 13 million workers.

What got me on this particular job search topic is talking with my great-niece at a recent family birthday party. Her name is Cassy and she will graduate from college in May of this year. She is beautiful, smart and educated in her field of study, but is unsure of how to best search for that important first job in her chosen industry.

Now with all the bad news concerning unemployment the truth of the matter is clear – there are many companies still looking for that talent they need to grow and they’re hiring when they find the right job candidates.

What Cassy and all the new college graduates need to know is that Social Media has gone mainstream in the recruiting community and has drastically changed the way companies recruit new people. I’m still active in the recruiting industry and I’ve seen articles claiming that some companies are filling 25% or more of their open job positions using LinkedIn® as their major recruiting platform. Some companies hesitate to advertise their open positions because they are then inundated with hundreds of resumes from people who sometimes don’t have even the minimum requirements. It’s easier for them to conduct their confidential searches and then contact you if you are a fit for one of their positions.

LinkedIn® has become the top “business” social network in the world with over 110 million people including hiring managers and company recruiters who perform searches every day looking for new hires for their companies.

New college graduates and people searching for better jobs absolutely must have a professional profile set up on LinkedIn® so they can rise above their competition and be easily found by the companies searching for them.

LinkedIn® is like a dream come true for job candidates for the following reasons:

• LinkedIn® is a living, professional community that is growing larger every day and is filled with hiring managers, corporate recruiters and headhunters who are searching for new employees to solve their problems

• LinkedIn® is free to join and set up your profile. All you need to do is to go to www.LinkedIn.com and follow the instructions and it’s done

• As a LinkedIn® member, you can search for groups of interest to you. There is an active group or several for just about any occupation you can think of. These groups are filled with your peers and you can ask questions, answer questions, read their latest posts and articles and become actively engaged in their conversations about your industry. You will make new friends and if you participate in these conversations you will become noticed by hiring managers and corporate recruiters and if they have an open position they will reach out to you to learn more about your career plans

• You can do searches for companies of interest and locate the names of people on LinkedIn® who work there. One caution here, never directly contact anyone on LinkedIn® and pester them for a job. This would be like you attending a party of friends and someone coming up to you wanting to sell you insurance. You need to engage them in a conversation by either offering information of value to them or asking them a question about their company and how they enjoy working there. Get into their conversations and become known as someone who adds value to their group and you will begin to attract their attention when there is a position to be filled.

LinkedIn® has free tutorials for new members and you should take the time to learn all the valuable ways you can use this site to advance your career. There are also great new books written on how to best use LinkedIn® to find your new job or to market your new services. Just check on www.Amazon.com to see what’s available to you.

I’ll be personally coaching my great-niece Cassy on how best to use LinkedIn® and you can learn more about my services at www.NewJobCoach.com.

Good luck in your job search and I’ll see you out on LinkedIn®.

Frank Welzig
www.NewJobCoach.com