Social Networking: Sounds Like a Lot of Extra Work … Why Bother?

I’ll tell you why you should bother, but first let’s answer this question: Why do people go online in the first place?

The answer is simple: According to eMarketer, about 70% of U.S. households were on the Internet in 2008. What were they doing?

· Researching

· Sharing

· Shopping

· Communicating

If your next question is "Do I really have time to do all this online networking?” the answer will be no surprise: If you want to win the race for 21^st century jobs then yes, you must make the time!

The time investment is reasonable: Writing occasional blog posts or replying to questions on LinkedIn or Twitter doesn’t take very long. But the return on that investment is significant because your dialogue can be picked up by thousands or maybe even millions of Internet users simultaneously. Try accomplishing that through snail mail, the cell phone, or “texting!”

Here’s another angle to consider: Recruiters and decision-makers are using LinkedIn and other social networking sites more frequently to gather information about job applicants. If you have any desire to shape their opinion of you, why wouldn’t you get actively involved? At the very least, you should be on LinkedIn to build contacts, obtain introductions, ask questions, and support others. It doesn’t take long for a recruiter to spot something special about you, something that’s part of your personal brand — but to benefit from the process you must be actively engaged in it.

Best wishes and catch you on Sunday morning on Your Career Is Calling,

Rod Colón