"[Facebook is] a great way to build your own PR," says Toronto-based recruiting consultant Ari Aronson. "When you're job-seeking, you really need to look at getting your name out there and using the tools that the web provides to market yourself."
With more than three million Canadians registered on the ubiquitous online networking site and large international companies like Ernst & Young using the site to attract employees, Facebook is a goldmine of potential professional contacts. Here's how to work your network:
1. Polish your profile. Before you begin using your Facebook account professionally, take the time to completely fill out the work, education and interests sections of your profile. "If someone who is considering hiring you comes to your account and you don't have a lot of information [posted], they're going to be less inclined to reach out and communicate with you," advises new media journalist, Amber MacArthur.
Just like a resume, your Facebook profile makes an important first impression. Fill out your profile with details about your achievements and awards you've received. Pictures of yourself speaking at professional conferences or at work on a project will help demonstrate your area of expertise, as will links to your blogs, websites and online photo galleries.
And you might want to ease up on those emoticons when contacting a potential employer. "Even if you're having fun and writing in what we call 'texting' language, it could have a (negative) impact on a person that might be hiring you," MacArthur warns.
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