professional life. To protect yourself, validate your Facebook security settings, make your Twitter account private (if needed), etc. Be sure to make your Facebook profile secure so that only your friends can see it, update settings of pictures in which you are tagged, remove the tag on that picture of you doing a keg stand at the homecoming game, and be sure to use the security groups option in Facebook to share limited information rather than everything with people who you don’t know all that well.





9. You are the company you keep (online too) – look at the info of people you are linked with on LinkedIn, examine who your Twitter conversations are with, review the comments on your Facebook status, and the like. Who you are connected with is just as important if not more important than how many connections you have. For example, which candidate is likely to get strong consideration for a senior-level role, the one with 500 LinkedIn connections of which are all at the analyst or specialist level or the one with 75 LinkedIn connections who consist of Directors, VP’s, and C-level execs? Not that this alone will seal the deal, it is one of many elements to consider in evaluating candidates. Having connections with leaders in your industry helps to validate some of your credibility as well as opens doors for you in your job search.

10. Be different, but not too different – Job seekers need to be creative to stand out from the crowd, but there comes a point where too much creativity will hinder your chances. We’ve heard plenty of ways in which candidates get the attention of hiring managers or recruiters – sending one shoe to them “Now that I have my foot in the door…” or one candidate who sent a hiring manager the remote control to a toy car, and then suggested that he can have the car too when he comes in for an interview.

While we applaud these somewhat creative attempts to get attention, if we were a hiring manager we would likely pass over these candidates. More constructively, if you’re a SEO specialist – your resume might say “for examples of my work, google me” – demonstrating your mastery of your craft. If you’re in finance, in addition to including your accomplishments in previous roles, also include the ROI or EPS impact of your work. Be sure to stand out by giving the hiring manager or recruiter the exact information they need to make right the decision about your qualifications.

The job search doesn’t have to be a lonely and solitary place. By using our friends and colleagues, we can network and have a little fun. This will differentiate ourselves in the competitive marketplace, and land a job that fits our experience and personality.