Online Networking

It hasn’t taken long for the Internet to revolutionize life as we know it, including job networking.

If you’ve never joined an online networking group before, our advice is to give it a try. While not everyone finds value in the online networking sites, enough do to make it worth exploring.

The benefits to online networking are that information is organized quickly and neatly. Users can easily check the references many sites incorporate into their templates. And, perhaps most important, employers have found these online networks helpful in finding new hires. “There are many companies who now seek out job applicants through the ‘hidden network’ made up of these new websites.," says All Star Resume's Mike Marshall. "These companies feel like they are broadening their reach because they are able to find prospective employees that are not actively in the job hunt.”

In the United States, LinkedIn.com may be the largest and most popular networking site. Friendster.com, an early one, is also worth a look. Oversease, Hi5.com is very popular. Other websites, such as classmates.com, have evolved to include career networking. In addition, many niche sites have emerged, such as Spoke.com, for sales people, and ExecuNet.com, for executives.

There are numerous sites to choose from, and you can belong to as many as you want. If you are going to give online career networking an honest try, check out several to see which will be the most beneficial. Successful online networkers tell us that they have tried several before finding the best one to meet their interests.

Patience is still a virtue

While the Internet has changed many things, others facets of life remain intact. Patience is still a virtue, for instance. Helpful online networking groups can take months to build.

These are just two more reason to begin networking long before you need a new job. (See our comments about the first deadly sin of career networking.)

(Not) putting your eggs all in one basket

Here’s another old cliché that still holds true. While many have found online networking to be an extremely helpful tool, don't put all your job search hopes into online networking. It's just one of the many methods to use. And no job search expert we’ve found recommends pursuing this avenue in lieu of the traditional networks.