I read some interesting facts in a New York Times article today about the shift in job search tactics away from paper resumes and cover letters to online job boards and more recently, to social networking tools.  No longer are Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com the places to be if you’re in the market for a new job.  Instead, Facebook and LinkedIn are the hot spots for job seekers and employers to find each other.

Unfortunately, some job hunters and employers are finding it difficult to navigate through the spam found on big job boards.  Instead, it’s more time and cost effective to leverage social networking sites for job searches.

According to a study conducted by the Society for Human Resources Management of 571 of their members who were asked how they use the internet to find job candidates, recruiters are using social networking sites 23% more today than they did in 2006.  However, they don’t just use social networking sites to find applicants.  They also use social networking sites to learn more about applicants than a resume provides. 

You’ve probably heard that employers will do a Google search on applicants, but did you know they also do social networking searches?  In other words, be careful which pictures you choose to post on your Facebook profile.  You never know who might be looking.