Prospecting for jobs, developing business contacts, and interviewing, all started changing over a decade ago with the creation of LinkedIn. Today recruiting employees usually involves evaluating a perspective candidate’s personal profile  mainly on LinkedIn. It is worth nothing that based on the scope of work you applied for the recruiters may also check  Google+, Facebook, Twitter and may search on the internet for your name to see if anything else of value comes up. Easy people connections like Google + Hangouts and Skype open the door to private chats or group discussions, through email and more.

The meet and greet of old has drastically changed due to online networking.

Getting your online profile noticed by the recruiters and hiring managers:

1. Set a primary goal for your career. In order to be successful with online networking you have to know what type of job you want to have. This may seem self explanatory but a vague goal such as “seeking employment” will not do. If you are just starting out then pick a general industry to focus on. If you are transitioning careers to another field then know exactly what specific position you can get as a starting point. Creating a profile that makes that statement is important to capture that audience.
2. Create a custom personal profile. Create your LinkedIn profile with that position or industry in mind. It helps to browse profiles of others in the same position to get an idea how they formatted everything.  Pay attention to the industry specific terms or phrases that are closely associated with that position you chose. I suggest also creating your profile on different social networks, Twitter, Google + and possibly industry specific forums or websites. It helps to keep all profiles uniform with the same look and feel if possible. Keep in mind that recruiters search for specific keywords in order to find their candidates, with that in mind use these keywords across your profiles.
3. Become an active participant. Twitter offers limited words, but posts can be tagged and directed at specific people. The main benefit here is that you are able to search for recruiters, industry leaders, company owners and follow them. It helps to only add others who relate to your chosen field. This will create an industry related news feed for you which will allow you to read interesting articles and allow you to keep up to date on any changes in your industry. Twitter is a great promotional tool when building an online presence or personal profile with purpose. Tweet and re-tweet using hashtags that will get the attention you want. LinkedIn offers networking groups for nearly all professions, with the ability to make direct contacts with perspective employers. It is also the one platform where 90% of recruiters hang out.
   
4. Blogging is a great tool to draw some attention to yourself which can help build your online presence. Industry Specific blogs can quickly get attention and lead to different opportunities. Learning the blogging basics isn’t as hard as you make think, there are plenty of websites offering free “how to” information to get you started. This opens up more direct social media channels to draw more attention to the profile and get one step closer to the networking goals.
5. Stay Focused. It helps to tailor everything you do online for perspective recruiters and employers. It is very important to utilize the correct job titles, specific software or skills used, certifications and so on. Put yourself into a recruiters shoes and think about what they would search for in order to uncover a resume for a specific position.
   
6. Connect with others. When it comes to social networking profiles, it is of the utmost importance to connect with others, share information and nurture these connections. Connecting to recruiters and people who can offer advice or provide a lead will increase your job search success. Sharing articles, gathering industry specific statistics or trends will also increase views, this is great for two reasons. First you are educating yourself about your desired field which is never a waste of time. Secondly once a recruiter views your profile they will see that you have an interest and are well educated about the industry they operate within.
   
7. Try to create industry specific content online. If blogging is a big undertaking then LinkedIn offers a way to publish your own articles. You can review an article you recently read and provide a different view point or a deeper insight to get started. Don’t be afraid to voice your professional opinion, it may lead to many career opportunities. Providing answers to industry specific questions on LinkedIn is also advised.
   
8. Be professional. It is very easy to start a debate or get pulled into meaningless arguments online. If you have the chance to be right… be kind instead. Recruiters try to eliminate red flags, in other words we don’t hire people that can create problems in the organization. In that regard only comment when you can be of help. Have fun but be professional.

Society today has embraced social media and online networking and left the old ways of communication back in the “old days”. That is not to say that traditional networking at career fairs or network events are pointless. Both have their benefits and both will help your job search. We now have what is considered a “net worth”, and it is all based on our network. One cannot ignore the benefits available via social networking, so set your social network up for success.