Consider these networks and how they may play a role in your career plans:

Expand your network via Tokkster. This beta-stage web plug-in allows users to chat with others who are concurrently visiting the same website. Asher Adelman, one of Tokkster’s creators, explains how the organization takes privacy very seriously. “We’ve designed Tokkster so that nobody’s data, browsing history or chats are ever collected, stored, or tracked,” he says. In fact, Tokkster users do not have names or ‘handles.’

Be found via Vizibility.com. When you use Vizibility.com, you can make it easier for people to access the information you want them to see when they search for you online. This is a helpful site for job seekers, and it’s particularly useful if you have a common name. Vizibility’s basic features are free, but the site also offers a paid version with more advanced options. The key is to first have some Google-indexed search results (for example, your LinkedIn profile, Twitter account, media mentions, and/or your own website).

Access new information using StartWire. Chris Forman, CEO of the job search organizer StartWire, says, “Using this free tool, you can find out when your online applications are reviewed by thousands of employers and track your progress. StartWire users share where they have applied by emailing their thanks for applying confirmations to apps@startwire.com.

Demonstrate your expertise with Pinterest. Pinterest has been getting a lot of buzz in the blogosphere. Like other networks (such as Twitter) that are not necessarily designed with professional networking in mind, Pinterest has interesting potential job search applications. Using the site (by invitation only, which you receive after adding your name to a wait list), you can create a virtual pinboard of interests about any topic.

Read the rest of the post (with more information about each network) on my US News & World report blog.

photo by L. Marie

The post New tools for your job hunt appeared first on Keppie Careers.

• 75 percent of HR departments are expected to research candidates online
• 89 percent of hiring managers and recruiters review candidates’ professional online data
• 86 percent of employers believe a positive online reputation influences their hiring decisions—and nearly 50 percent say the influence is “to a great extent” and they expect it to increase

Further proving how important it is to be discoverable online is an ExecuNet Inc. research study, 2010 Executive Job Market Intelligence Report:

• 90 percent of search-firm recruiters regularly Google candidates to help draw a complete picture of that individual—up from 75 percent in 2005

If you have a common name, it may be difficult to distinguish yourself online. About 2,000 people on LinkedIn share their name with someone on the FBI’s most wanted list, says James Alexander, founder of Vizibility.com, a company that creates tools to help professionals and companies stand out on the Web.

Read the rest of the post on my U.S. News blog….

photo by dunkr

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