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Tradtional approach to finding jobs a thing of the pastBy Matt Smith | February 28, 2012 | 11:55 pm

Post-secondary graduates are finding it more difficult to get work within their desired field these days.

What’s worse is that many have accu-mulated such large debt that they can’t even afford to accept unpaid intern-ships that provide the valuable experi-ence needed for initial jobs. While these people may have degrees, they are often left working in customer ser-vice because they have no other way of paying back their student loans.

Those fortunate enough to escape debt free may find jobs that utilize their skillsbut they often have to put up with contract work that provides very few benefits and little to no job security. Since new openings are scarce, getting a permanent full-time position after college or university is usually rare.

The job market has stalled lately, so it has become increasingly important for both recent graduates and current students to take advantage of every tool at their disposal. Although social media is the most powerful of these tools, it’s often underestimated and is not con-sidered to be a viable option. However, those looking for a competitive edge in the mar-ketplace might want to reconsider this mentality.

It’s because of social media that the traditional approach to finding a job is, for the most part, a thing of the past. Crafting a personalized cover letter and resume, and submitting them to various businesses isn’t as effective now that there are fewer available jobs with more competition from other people.

The time has come for young people to think differently about how they are going to get their first job. While it still may be necessary to submit resumes in some situations, social media should be the resource that is most often taken advantage of. When used properly, it is a job seekers best friend. Social media lets people promote their own brand; it shows their point of view and it shows what they know about a given topic.

There’s the old adage that it’s not what a person knows but who they know. Social media levels that playing field because it allows people to say what they know, and it shows that they are worth hiring. Russel Lolacher, Director of Social Media for the Ministry of Transpor-tation and Infrastructure and consultant of his own part-time communications company: Communications Kitchen, strongly believes that social media is the best way to get a job.

“When I was looking for work, I got seven or eight job offers and I didn't hand out a single resume; it was completely based on being on social media and making myself known” says Lolacher. “Pick something you like, be really passionate about it and then focus on it on social media.”

Lolacher also believes that job seekers should adopt social media sooner than later. He says that “the last thing you do is wait until you graduate before you start marketing yourself because it's already too late, you want a job tomorrow. You need to be branding yourself now.”

However, Lolacher says that people shouldn't go on social media just because everyone else has an account. “People will say that's where their market is, so I'll ask them if that's the people they actually want to engage with. Know who your audience is, and don't be on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube if it's not suiting your purposes.”

While integrating social media won't necessarily secure a job, it is still is a valuable resource for people to use. Since most companies are active across various social media platforms, they will likely notice when people are excelling at it.

According to recruiting website Jobvite, 89 per cent of organizations will use social media as part of their recruitment process during 2012, with 64 per cent of businesses adopting a strategy that uses two or more individual platforms.

Even though the most recent study of Canada's labour market showed that the unemploy-ment rate has remained above seven per cent, it has also revealed that a quarter of a mil-lion jobs are still vacant. With the majority of companies having successfully hired via social media, job seekers who take advantage of this new approach will increase their chances of staying competitive for these vacant spots.

How else can young people use social media to be competitive while searching for jobs?

Lolacher thinks that one of the most important ways is to focus less on the media part and more on the social part. Equate social media to real human situations. This means valuing the relationships that are built with people, and not using social media only when a person needs something from someone else. He says people are what will always remain consis-tent.

“There is a graveyard of old technology that just goes the way of the dodo, and it will change, it will always change, but the people wont. People will still be here using these tools to engage and talk to each other. We just have to know which tools they use and then use the appropriate ones appropriately.”