Some sites, such as LinkedIn, are geared more towards business use, but even the social networking sites can be valuable assets in a job search. In fact, some companies have even started using the sites as recruitment tools. The benefits to hiring managers are obvious: there is no cost, they can reach people in a certain geographic area and it is easier to find people to fill specialized niche positions.

On sites such as Facebook, users can post a note and write about details of their job search. You can even post a resume in this way. Under the privacy settings you can choose to allow only your friends, friends of friends or everyone to be able to see the note. Doing this has the potential to allow hundreds of people, including many that do not know you but know one of your friends, a chance to see your resume and learn about the type of job you are seeking.

LinkedIn, being that it is business based, offers even more opportunities for job searching. In addition to being able to be linked to people that you know, LinkedIn also allows users to search companies to see if any of your contacts has a contact at that company. If not, users have the option of paying a monthly fee which will allow them to make contact with someone with whom they have no “friends” in common. LinkedIn also allows employers to post job openings, which other users can view.

Twitter can also be helpful in your job search. On Twitter you can search for people who share common career goals or interests. When you follow them and/or they follow you, you may become privy to some job openings that may not yet be posted on any job sites. If you Tweet often about the status of your job search, there is always a chance one of the people following you will see it and send you a lead.

Including social networking sites in your job search is just one more way to help you land the best job for you.