Job search and social networking

Since (see my previous entry), the most practical goal for getting a degree is to land a better job, there remains a question of how to get it.
And there, solid networking abilities are priceless. These ideas are far from new, since Granovetter showed in 1973 that "weak ties" were critical in finding a job.


Today, more and more websites are providing tools to network without leaving your home (see here for a list of the main sites).

These websites are extremely useful to expand one's social and professional circles, but there are two caveats, however:

1- Beware of your online professional image: if you decide to use Facebook as a tool to get you hired, make sure that the available profile offers a perfectly neat image.

2- Electronic ties and face-to-face encounters do not carry the same weight (see here for more details), so make sure that you still network in the good old-fashioned ways as well.