How Marketing Candidates Can Find a Job in a World Dominated by Web 2.0

Simply having a professional looking and up-to-date resume is no longer enough to help you secure a new marketing position. Web 2.0 exposure is quickly becoming a real-time living, breathing demonstration of your expertise. Social networking sites can tell colleagues and potential employers what you know, who you know, and what you’ve done. But in order to leverage that tool for your next marketing job search, you need to know which sites to concentrate on. Then, highlight your skills and expertise for the whole world to see. You never know who may be “following” you—possibly your next employer!

Whether you’re looking for a job now, or anticipate making a change at some point in your career, now is the time to put your best foot forward in the social marketing arena. Recruiters and prospective employers will be googling your name and seeing what pops up. Years ago, resumes and CVs were the main tool for showcasing your past positions and skills, and while they are still important, interested parties can find so much more information online. They can see how involved you are in your industry, get a sense of your personality, and see if you play (interact) well with others. No matter how far off your next job search is (and do you ever really know?), you need to utilize Web 2.0 to stand out above the crowd.

The best social networking sites allow you to interact with others and make your statement on the marketing world by building your name recognition, highlighting your accomplishments, and building valuable connections.

LinkedIn is one of the top social networking sites in the business world. There you can fill out your profile (don’t forget to upload your professional headshot!), connect with other people you know and trust, and post questions (and answers!) to your group.

Article marketing can help develop your expert platform. Pick a topic you know and write an article about it. Send it to professional associations you belong to, post them on your website or blog, and submit them to article submission services. Don’t forget to include your author box, which is like free advertising for your business. A word of caution though—make sure your articles contain useful information and aren’t overly self promotional or they might get rejected.

Blogging is an effective tool for easily demonstrating your expertise. Remember to keep your blogs relevant and that quality is more important than quantity. Schedule “write blog post” assignments in your calendar so you don’t forget to update it. A couple times a week is ideal, but no less than a few times a month. And don’t forget that blogging is a two-way street. Comment on other blogs too! Readers of popular blogs may just click back through the comment you left and become new fans of yours. Look into guest blogging opportunities, comment on local news blogs, industry blogs, and on blogs of colleagues with similar interests to yours.

Twitter, a site for microblogging, is a rapidly growing, low-time investment way to keep active in your profession. Short, 140 character updates go out to those subscribed to you. Just like blogs, don’t forget to comment on other people’s posts to build relationships. The real value of Twitter is in who you chose to follow, if you chose wisely you might just learn something yourself. Try TweetDeck to keep it all sorted.

Of course, there are many more social networking opportunities out there and new ones crop up all the time. Look for those that allow you to showcase your expertise, connect with others you respect, and grow your fan base. Don’t forget to update your status and posts regularly, just as you regularly check and respond to emails and keep appointments. Networking with fellow marketing colleagues today may just land you a great new marketing position tomorrow.