Social networking is becoming a part of every day life, including the professional aspect. While the younger generations can be quite comfortable with technology, its professional application may be somewhat of a mystery.

I had an opportunity to speak at DeVry in Orlando, FL on January 22, 2009 to the students and some faculty about how social networking can be used for job seeking and to establish professional credentials online. What I found surprising is that the students seemed like they were hearing this for the first time. Many of them thought that social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are for games, sharing videos, pictures and other entertaining activities.

My presentation on Social Networking 101 was quite an eye opener for many of the audience participants. I introduced LinkedIn as the premier professional social network, guiding them through basic principles and how to apply them. It was a great experience! It did get me thinking that schools should start teaching social networking for professional use as a part of the student curriculum. I’ve been approached by numerous companies, professional organizations and entrepreneur / small business centers to teach classes, so why don’t colleges get on board?

Colleges, like DeVry, take on the philosophy of helping students bridge the gap between college life and the professional world. It only seems logical to have social networking be a part of that philosophy. I’d like to challenge educational institutions to push the envelope further away from traditional notions of teaching and really help prepare their students for the new business world. As educators, I believe it is our duty to get them as ready as we can for the next stage of their lives. Besides, they might be our bosses one day!

What are your thoughts on teaching social networking as part of a college curriculum? Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. Feedback is always welcome and encouraged!

Jenna Papakalos at Social Networking 101, DeVry in Orlando, FL

Thanks to Twitter, I have the wonderful opportunity to interact every day with one of the most progressive CEOs I have ever met, Tony Hsieh of Zappos. Tony (I think if I called him Mr. Hsieh, he would tell me that’s his father!) kindly agreed to let me interview him on the importance of social networking to Zappos’ corporate culture.

If you haven’t heard of Zappos, the company is an online retailer who staked it’s claim to fame by selling just about any type of shoe you can think of. Zappos is to shoes what Amazon is to books. As an HR and training professional, I truly appreciate their corporate culture. Zappos is all about loving what you do and not being afraid to show your enthusiasm.

It’s no surprise that a company this progressive uses social networking in its every day life. Employees are encouraged to engage over the Internet, with each other, customers and the general public. This is not your daddy’s corporate culture!

So on with the interview:

Q) How engraved is social networking technology in Zappos’ corporate culture?

A) We have a presence on Myspace, Facebook, YouYube, but we are most active on Twitter. We have over 400 employees on Twitter, so it’s definitely part of our corporate culture: http://twitter.zappos.com/employees

And we’ve created a page that aggregates all of our employees tweets here: http://twitter.zappos.com/employee_tweets

Q) What social networking tools or platforms do you use at Zappos?

A) In addition to the social networking sites mentioned above, we also are very active in our blogs: http://blogs.zappos.com

Q) What do you use social networking technology for at Zappos?

A) We use Twitter as a way to connect in a more personal way with both employees and customers.

Q) When did you realize that using social networking technology would benefit Zappos?

A) We’ve always been interested in connection in a more personal way with both employees in customers. That’s part of the reason why we have our 1-800 number on the top of every single page of our web site. Twitter was just another great way of connecting with people, and we introduced it to the company in Spring of 2008.

Q) How do you train people to use the social networking technology?

A) Everyone hired into our headquarters goes through 4 weeks of training when they first start, where we cover customer service and company culture. Part of the training includes introducing employees to Twitter.

Q) Do you use social networking technology to train your employees at all?

A) No.

Q) Do you monitor communications sent by Zappos employees on social networking sites?

A) We don’t have a formal monitoring system in place. We just tell employees to be real and use their best judgment.

As you can see, Zappos is quite extraordinary. But I do have one remaining question for Tony: Are you hiring? I work for shoes!

With the economy in the state it’s in, we have more and more job seekers on the hunt for the next career opportunity. It’s officially become an employer’s market.

With competition being fierce for the available positions, job seekers need to be extra judicious on presenting the cleanest professional image possible. In turn, being in as many places as you can be at once is crucial to success. So how can this be accomplished? Social networking!

Social networking is becoming mainstream as a job seeking and recruiting tool. Information is easy to come by, which can work to your advantage or detriment. With a solid strategy and a few tweaks on existing web presence, wielding social networking can be one of the most powerful tools to lead to ultimate success.

So job seekers, here is a list of the top ten things you need to know about social networking:

1. Are you on any social networks? LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, just to name a few. If you aren’t, get a profile and start building your network.

2. You are what you write! If you’ve got some posts that do not hold you in the most favorable of light, get rid of them. If friends have shared funny pictures of that night out on the town, ask them to consider taking it down.

3. Guess what, your friends aren’t the only ones who can see your content on your profile! Many make the mistake of thinking that when they post content or pictures online, that only their friends in their network can see it. This may not be the case. Double check all of your privacy settings on your profile.

4. Have you Googled yourself lately? Do a quick search on your name (full, maiden, partial) to see what is out there.

5. Your online user names, are they professional? This can include email, profile IDs, or just about anything electronically related. Hot2trot probably is not a good idea! Keep it clean.

6. Do you have a blog? This is a great way to establish your professional credentials. Focus on your passion and post content that truly reflects your knowledge and experience.

7. Have you expanded your existing network? Reach out to new people. Ask your current connections to facilitate introductions. If someone posts a blog or comment you like, take a chance and reach out to them. You’d be surprised at the relationships you can establish.

8. Ask for endorsements. On several social networking platforms, you can ask for recommendations or have folks post favorable comments that can be attached to your profile. Ask your connections for viable endorsements that helps establish your professionalism.

9. Just because a company may not have a position posted on a job board, it doesn’t mean the door is completely closed. Use your network to do some recon. Find the person you need to speak to about the company and obtain info you can’t find on a website or annual report. Your resourcefulness can be a great asset on a first impression.

10. Always nurture your network, not just in tough times. Put the offer out there to help others. Post a discussion on some useful information, answer a question on your social network, or simply send a note to say hello. Networks take time to build and strengthen. Do your best to give this important resource the attention it deserves.

It’s no question we are in the midst of hard times. Let’s help each other out. Leave a comment with your tips on using social networking in the job hunt. You never know what may come of it!