I’ve been saying this for a long time… It’s been on our blog before, and I’ve even been on the news to discuss it…

When you’re in the job market, you need to make sure that you’re managing your online image.  Including your social media profiles!

As one of the region’s leading technology staffing and recruiting firms, we work with some of the area’s most talented IT professionals.  It still surprises me when someone who’s been in the workforce for a while and has a career in technology keeps less than flattering information on their Facebook profiles!

Businesses are increasingly using Facebook & other social networks for marketing – and recruiting.  In fact, we just launched a full-on social media recruiting campaign for a large, national financial firm.  So, it’s no shock that 70% of recruiters have denied someone based on information they found online.

Take a look at this article from the Consumer Reports blog, consumerist.com:  http://consumerist.com/2010/04/if-youre-looking-for-a-job-that-facebook-profile-can-only-hurt-you.html

I’m happy to see that we’re not the only ones signaling the alarm anymore!

When it comes to staffing, G.1440’s leading the way in Baltimore!

The Baltimore Business Journal just published their list of the Largest Professional Search Firms in the Baltimore Area, and guess who made the cut?  That’s right!  G.1440 was the top firm focused exclusively on IT Staffing!  Overall, G.1440 came in at 17 this year – and when you rank them by average salary, G.1440 jumps to number 5.

The Baltimore Sun’s Tech blog was just a twitter with the buzz of G.1440’s growth in Tech Staffing & Recruiting.

From our perspective, more and more companies are realizing that they can’t afford to waste time and money on a lengthy hiring process, and they certainly can’t afford the costs of hiring someone to find out that they’re not as good as they seemed.  G.1440’s staffing services go the extra mile to help companies cut through the clutter and get to work.

It’s nice to be recognized for excelling.  It’s nicer to be recognized when we help our clients excel.

Networking sites have become wildly popular on the internet, but they’re not just for socializing. Unlike MySpace and Facebook, which seem to keep people updated on your personal life……LinkedIn keeps people in the loop about your career and professional accomplishments. These days, many are turning to LinkedIn to find a job since LinkedIn is becoming so popular. LinkedIn is a free social networking tool that enables you to build a network quickly. I have over 7,000,000 connections in my network which includes everyone that I know, everyone that my connections know and everyone that they know……in LinkedIn you are connected 3 layers deep to anyone in your network.

The first suggestion I have is make sure that your LinkedIn profile is up to date and complete. A completed profile dramatically increases your chances for success in the LinkedIn world. A completed profile is a photo, your current job, at least two previous jobs, a summary, any specialties you have, at least 3 recommendations and your educational background. This may sound like a lot, but it isn’t. You can round up this information and get recommendations from your friends in no time and you will be surprised how much more effective you are on LinkedIn. In fact, I got a new project for G.1440 on Wednesday through LinkedIn.

Next, check out the jobs tab. You will see every job that your network is recruiting for. In my network right now there are over 300 positions that are unfilled……amazing. The next step is to use the company tab……in this tab you will find a listing of all the companies that are in your network and your connections networks. In this listing, you can target companies that are hiring or companies that you want to meet.

Last but not least, be sure to join some groups that are relevant to you and that you share an interest with. I have joined groups from former employer as well as Towson and Loyola for both undergrad and graduate degrees.

These are some of the major steps to using LinkedIn to find a new position or career, however the best strategy is to just get in there and start connecting…..you will figure out what is best for you. One other word of advice…….start networking now….it will pay off whether you stay with your current employer or not. Feel free to find me on LinkedIn and send me a request to link.