 Create your own 'network effect'When searching for a new job, it's easier than ever to get on the inside track. •
•
•
•
•
•
•
 NEW YORK (Money Magazine) -- Social networks like Facebook.com and LinkedIn.com might seem a little intimidating when you first try them. But if you build a profile and start connecting with people, you'll get in the swing. And you'll be surprised at how much more effective than e-mail they can be for keeping up contacts. LinkedIn is the more grown-up site. You create a profile page and then "connect" with other people you know to build a network. You can search among the people they know, and the people who know those people - the idea being that you'll not only see potential contacts, but you'll have a common connection who might introduce you. Even if you're not a big networker, LinkedIn is useful in one respect: Your public profile page looks like a résumé. (Put your name in the Web address to be more easily found.) But since a LinkedIn profile isn't an explicit signal that you're job hunting, notes Jason Alba, author of "I'm on LinkedIn - Now What?" it's not a disaster if your boss sees it. On the other hand, a recruiter might. Another useful feature: the Answers section, where members ask and answer questions on business topics from how to start a corporate Wiki site to where to list education on your CV. "You can build a relationship with someone by helping them get something done," says Scott Allen, who blogs at LinkedIntelligence.com. If you hand out lots of business cards - maybe you're a consultant, a salesperson or an entrepreneur - LinkedIn is worth a try. Facebook, on the other hand, is the way to stay in touch with people you know. You create a personal Web page but limit access to it to your Facebook "friends." A news feed lets you send short messages about what you're up to, and you can post videos, news items and book recommendations. Facebook can be juvenile: When you make someone a friend, for example, you can check a box to tell the world that "we hooked up." (For the youth-impaired, this does not mean that you met for coffee once.) But the clever thing about Facebook is that it's a low-intensity form of communication - you can send out a quick hello without contacting people individually. One caution: Social networking can be addictive; lots of companies block access to Facebook. |
Photo Galleries
When it comes to in-flight pampering, the amenity kits offered by these 10 airlines are the ultimate in luxury More
From a text therapy platform to apps that push you reminders to breathe, these self-care startups offer help on a daily basis or in times of need. More
From Uber's flying cars to the Hyperloop, these are some of the neatest transportation concepts in the works today. More
| ||||
