Social Networking

I just came across a recruiter who participates in 90 social networks. I thought to myself “Am I missing something?” So I accepted an invitation from Hi5. I briefly investigated the interface and found it to be identical to Facebook. The kinds of questions that the background asks are very telling of the kind of site you are entering. I also received an inappropriate email before I even had a chance to look around.
Facebook and Myspace are about the same in terms of their professional orientation. Both are geared much more towards the personal lives of people rather then the work related. LinkedIn on the other hand is strictly professional although lately it has been copying some features from Facebook such as “what are you doing now” feature.
People who switch from LinkedIn to Facebook are making a horrific mistake. Both sites have their uses but the search function on Facebook is very underdeveloped, even more so then LinkedIn. Thee two sites are vastly different in purpose and cannot be used interchangeably. While you can find good professionals on Facebook and Myspace, it is much easier to do this on LinkedIn.
The beauty of LinkedIn is that it is a professional network and it will lose much if it becomes anything like Facebook or Myspace. So how many social networks are too many? I have MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Hi5, and RecruitingBlogs. Should I get more? The connections I have on LinkedIn are more then enough in terms of professional links while Facebook lets me keep tabs on friends. I only have so much time in a day when I’m not on the phone to upkeep my networks and even reply to all the LinkedIn invites is becoming an activity I do once or twice a week.
LinkedIn, Facebook, and Myspace are a must to have while everything else is a “nice to have”.
By: Gene Leshinsky, The Boston Technical Recruiter
Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.