Mediaboss Marketing

The days of resumes and door-to-door job hunting are becoming a thing of the past. With a computer and a few clicks of a mouse, job seekers and even employers can now find just what they're looking for thanks to social networking.

Newly married mother Sierra Smith calls herself a social media success story. Last month, she wasn't happy with her old job, so she began looking for a higher paying one.

"Since I have a family to support and I have a little baby, [I have] to pay bills and get stuff done," Smith said.

She wanted to focus her job hunt. To do that, she explored several social sites, which led her to Walmart's hiring page.

"I applied for the job and got the call," Smith said. "If you want to look for a job, don't be scared. Go on the internet. You don't have to go to stores anymore; social networking is the best."

Social networking seems to be reshaping job searches across the country.

A JobVille survey shows that one out of six people used social media to get hired. Three of the most popular search engines are Facebook (18,400,000), LinkedIn (10,200,00), and Twitter (8,000,000).

Public and Employee Specialist Robin Wood said sites like Facebook help get the word out faster to more people, saving both time and money.

"That is all we have to do is sit at our computer, type a message, and it is out there and it is free. As soon as we post the jobs online, we get calls, we get emails. The waiting period is nothing now," Wood said.

But not everyone is a fan of using social media to look for jobs. One unemployed, single mom said she prefers the personal connection.

Read more:
How social media is reshaping job searches