Social Media and Networking In the Modern Job Market: What Say You?

[CountDeMoney]

OK, as part of my dealing-with-my-future-severance situation, I've been jumping back into the job market full-bore and buck naked for the first time with no real hard leads since, well, really 2003.

And while we're all familiar with the evolution of social media in recent years I have to say, I'm am rather stunned at the sheer magnitude of how much social media's been integrated into the job market.

Personally, believe in maintaining a low profile online with that sort of thing;  not out of any sort of Luddism, or my brilliant on-line persona  but because I see that sort of thing as an unnecessary risk, with more minuses than pluses.  But I get the feeling it's putting me at a disadvantage.

I have no Facebook, no LinkedIn, none of that kind of stuff.  Do you?  And if so, to what extent?

[crazy canuck]

I stay as far away from all those things as possible.

[Zanza]

I've got Facebook but use it exclusively privately, with very high privacy settings. I've got Xing, which is like a German version of LinkedIn, but I don't really use and only occasionally browse to see what changed within my network. That doesn't tell a possible recruiter anymore than my resume though.
Google gives a few sites about my time at university, but apparently there is a Swedish math professor with my name and so it's hard to find anything about me online.

[derspiess]

I use Facebook a fair bit, but I've always followed the common-sense approach re: privacy settings & thinking before I post anything.  Amazes me how many people do not.

I maintain a sort of bare bones LinkedIn account.  I've never found it that useful, but I do want it to be out there just in case I do need to use it for whatever reason.

[Razgovory]

What is "Link In"?

[Ed Anger]

What is "Link In"?

Where us important people post our important info. So we can network and form new paradigms.

[DGuller]

What is "Link In"?

Where us important people post our important info. So we can network and form new paradigms.

Form new paradigms?  I thought you just shifted the existing paradigms.  Has there been a paradigm shift when it comes to the useage of paradigm?

[Ed Anger]

If you have to ask, you have already been left behind.

[Jacob]

I got Facebook, but keep it primarily for my social life rather than work related stuff. I do use it somewhat for professional networking, but only where my professional network overlaps my actual social life. I refrain from discussing politics, sex, religion or any other controversial topic on facebook; it's for social life co-ordination and sharing pictures and small talk with distant friends and relatives.

I also have a linked in account, but I don't like it and barely use it. That said, during a job hunt, I'd create/ update it and check it regularly, but otherwise I pretty much ignore it.

[Martinus]

I use Facebook exclusively for private reasons. I do use it to occasionally post comments on political websites (think Polish HuffPo) but I keep it polite - I don't identify as an employee of my firm of course.

LinkedIn is all the rage in the lawyer/private equity community here recently so I joined. It's mostly useful to see who knows who, though. Private equity/M&A lawyering must be the most incestuous market ever - everybody represents everybody.

[CountDeMoney]

LinkedIn is all the rage in the lawyer/private equity community here recently so I joined. It's mostly useful to see who knows who, though.

See, that's precisely one of the reasons why I don't use it;  after all, you don't know who knows who--what if a prospective employer checks out your connections, and comes across one of your old bosses he knows and considers him an asshole?  You're timmaytainted by association.

[crazy canuck]

LinkedIn is all the rage in the lawyer/private equity community here recently so I joined. It's mostly useful to see who knows who, though.

See, that's precisely one of the reasons why I don't use it;  after all, you don't know who knows who--what if a prospective employer checks out your connections, and comes across one of your old bosses he knows and considers him an asshole?  You're timmaytainted by association.

Its not entirely suprising that Marti's look at me look at me personality here translates into his activities outside of Languish.

[DGuller]

Is today a "Martinus Roast" day?

[Jacob]

See, that's precisely one of the reasons why I don't use it;  after all, you don't know who knows who--what if a prospective employer checks out your connections, and comes across one of your old bosses he knows and considers him an asshole?  You're timmaytainted by association.

Nah, that's not going to hurt you. Everyone's worked with assholes before, as a boss.

The only potential problem is if you have a glowing reference from said boss, and the prospective employer hates the boss so much that anyone he likes is tainted; but you have that problem with paper/phone references as well.

The main thing about linked in is that people will look at your network and find people they also know, and get their take on you; so unless most people you link to hate you, it's a good thing (because if your former colleague who I know to be a stand up guy says you're good, that means more than if the guy you put on your resume says so). It's also an easy way to ask and search for specific candidates and refer them to others (generally a good thing).

It's not going to bite you in the ass unless you're stupid about it.

[The Brain]

I don't use social media in my personal life and I sure as fuck don't use them in my professional life. Since, you know, I'm not a me-too retard.