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The adage that job hunting is a full-time job has never been more true. Unemployment remains high and the economy fails to create new jobs at a rate that matches the jobs loss resulting in far too many applicants for each opening. Getting to the front of that line can be a time consuming task for anyone searching for employment.

Computers were supposed to make finding a job easier. Resumes can be instantly emailed to potential employers. Career sites offer hundreds of job listing and online classified sites have all but replaced newspapers as the place to get the most up-to-date job openings. However, it can be easy to get lost in the sheer volume of these sites. Worse still is the fact that many of those listings receive dozens if not hundreds of digital resumes, making it nearly impossible to get seen, let alone called in for an interview.

Social media has become the answer for the modern job hunter. It is said that most jobs are never even listed. People hire people, not resumes — and they find those people through networking . This used to mean joining community organizations to rub elbows with movers and shakers, attending industry events or specific networking meetings. Today it means crafting professional social media profiles and building a digital network of connections that can lead to a job.

Most people think of Facebook as a place to post family photos, share funny links and videos, and play silly games. Experienced professionals know better. They maintain a professional profile on Facebook that allows them to demonstrate their expertise to clients, industry colleagues, and community leaders. By sharing insights, linking to thought-provoking articles, and even asking for advice from others, they slowly build a solid network. Just look at Daniel Drimmer on Facebook as an example.

Facebook isn’t the only place to build a professional profile. LinkedIn was created to be the ‘professional facebook.” Busy executives like Daniel Drimmer know that a profile on LinkedIn can serve as a professional resume. LinkedIn also hosts discussion groups that allow members to converse about their industry as they build their professional network. Best of all, LinkedIn allows members to indicate that they are looking for work and even allows companies to list open positions.

When it comes time to submit a resume for one of those public listings, applicants with a good online network can bypass the traditional process. Instead they can message a friend at the company through LinkedIn or Facebook and ask for help getting their resume to the top of the list. In the best case scenario, someone looking to fill a position will scan their social media network to find people they already know who would be a good match for the company and someone gets a job without it ever appearing on a job listing site.

Photo courtesy Aidan Jones via Flickr (Creative Commons License).