The Impact of Social Networking/New Media on Employment Prospects

How does social networking tools like Twitter, Linked and Facebook affect your employment prospects...or even your business? This is more of a personal discussion, as it relates to my own situation as I am considering my options for the future.

Overall, social media tools are just another medium to promote your services to potential employers (clients), although there have been several cases in which these same tools became a barrier to gaining employment.

Social networking provides another untapped hidden job market, and can be extremely effective in putting the word out.

The principles are still the same: make sure you deliver a consistent message when you building your brand. Noone likes to receive "mixed messages" aboutwhat you do, professionally or personally.

As well, avoid "fluffing" your credentials when marketing yourself. Resumes tend to be an area where people plop in various keywords - even to the point of having qualifications they don't actually have.

On the self-employment issue, it's best to have a specialization and to have a target market for your business.