Do you use social media sites for your job search? Believe it or not most hiring managers are now investigating job applicants through these sites. They look on your personal pages on Facebook, Twitter and even MySpace. Frankly, most employers today think that they can make sensible decisions by viewing on how an applicant forms his or her online brand.

The impact of social networking sites on a job search is becoming more obvious. As such, more people build their social media profiles solely for raising their career chances. Sites such as LinkedIn however are strictly for career related info whereas Facebook and Twitter can be used for both personal and professional use.

Unluckily, as of now, only few people have been taking advantages of social media such as Facebook in their job hunt. Nevertheless, this is quite the reason why you should make social media as your job hunt ally. You have more edge if you do so. So, how can you contemplate your strengths and not your weaknesses on these sites? And how can you guarantee that the employers viewing your pages would be stimulated to meet you and hire you?

· Know what Your Prospective Employers Want! This is a basic step in using social media as your job search ally. Let’s consider it this way: a customer is lusting for an apple. If you want to pull in his attention, you should give him an apple rather than an orange. Know what your likely employers want to find and read. Upload a photo that emits positive vibes. Moreover, make your online photo albums admirable to hiring managers.

· Use keywords to Your Advantage. Honestly speaking, you can only step-up your rank on searches if you use the right keywords that your prospective employers are applying to hunt for applicants. Aside from this, also identify keywords that will assist you to reflect your strengths and skills. Use them to your full advantage. For example, project management, strategic planning, budget control, and so on. However, do not forget to set yourself apart from other job candidates.

· Avoid Negative Contents. Typically, social media sites permit users to modify their privacy settings. For purely personal pages, alter your settings so that your friends are the only ones who can see and read them. Yet, if you want to make a page public, you should eliminate the negative messages that could damage your job search. Tip: be conservative.

· Simplify Your Pages. Content is more essential than your page’s graphic layout, unless you are a visual artist. In some social media sites, layouts can cause visual jumbles. Moreover, too heavy layouts can increase uploading time, which is not good on your part. So, remove excess and distracting graphics.

· Update Your Profile As Much As You Can. The more updated your profile is, the better. This includes updating your profile photo, and revising your description as much as possible. Make recruiters and your online contacts know that you are available for new opportunities. Assess what prospective employers currently are seeking and make the necessary changes.