A recent study commissioned among human resource professionals and recruiters revealed that 32% of them actually search the internet and social networking sites such as Facebook for potential employees. The study also showed that of the remaining 68%, another 48% showed an indication they would take that route of Facebook search in the future.

Facebook offers efficient job search

With over 200 million active users, Facebook has become a serious contender for the most popular social networking site in the world. With this knowledge, recruiters target Facebook to find employable individuals based on their posted profile. The profile of Facebook users gives an immediate insight into the personality of individuals and their interest. As a result, recruiters can do targeted search by entering certain keywords that brings up only individuals of a particular area of interest. By using Facebook, they can increase their efficiency by eliminating the practice of wild searching to find that perfect employee.

Brand You-How to Capitalize of Facebook

Your profile is the pathway between you and the recruiter. Pump up your profile that recruiters can automatically attracted to you. Treat yourself as a company and you are marketing a product, which is you of course, to the public. Include all professional information such as contact details, qualification, capabilities, extra-curricular activity and work experience if any.

One of the main forces of attraction for recruiters is the use of keywords. Do a Google search for keywords related to your profession and ensure that these words are included into your Facebook profile. This will enable your profile to be at the top of the heap when the recruiter does their Facebook search.

Another job-seeking tool available on Facebook is the opportunity to setup your own group. Jobseekers can easily establish a group that targets individuals with similar interest. Numbers bring power, so by knowing that a large group of individuals exists in a particular group, they can easily go there instead of open searching in order find potential employees.

Job seekers can also make their own websites or blogs where they can display their talents. They can then create a link on Facebook. When any one visits their Facebook page, they can easily click on this link to visit their personal site.

Facebook Video Upload

The video upload tool available on Facebook is a powerful tool that can tilt the employment scale in your favor. Facebook allows you to upload a video resume that will be a face-to-face introduction of yourself to your potential employer. This video resume must be professionally done, as recruiters will use this introduction to conduct their preliminary assessment. One thing for sure, a video resume shows a concerted effort to present yourself in a professional manner.

Many online students complain about feeling distanced from their professors and other students during the pursuit of their studies. Facebook offers online instructors an opportunity to create many applications and groups that enhance their virtual classroom environment and be extremely beneficially to their students.

Class Projects on Facebook

Online instructors can use the flexibility of Facebook to create class projects. These projects are limited only by the creativity of the students and their instructor. Some projects include:

• News Feed: This application can be used by instructors to have their students follow news releases on aspects relevant to their course work material. This material can then be discussed during class sessions.
• Book Reviews: This gives online instructors an opportunity to get their students to post book reviews about various books that they may be using during the program. Other students can then easily access this.
• Games: This can be used to bring some fun to the classroom environment. Facebook allows you to create simple fun games that are specific to your interest.
• Language Assistance: Facebook is available in many languages. This can be used by online foreign language instructors to practice their language with other students and native speakers.
• Create Applications: This application is most beneficial to students of programming and website creation. This is a good platform form them to practice their skills as online instructors can give them simple assignments that can be posted on Facebook.

Teaching Aids on Facebook

Facebook offers online instructors various teaching aids that they can use to make their teaching experience easier and have a feel of being in pace with their wired students. Some of these aids include:

• Make a Quiz: This is an easy way for online instructors to make simple quizzes that their students can easily access via Facebook.
• File Upload: Online instructors can easily upload important files that can be beneficial to their Facebook page. These files may include class syllabus, supplemental reading resources, assignments and test scores.
• Book Tag: This is a unique way that Facebook allows online instructors to tag specific books for class reading. The material can then be discussed during the next class session.
• Calendar: With this Facebook application, online instructors can schedule various class events that both them and their students can track online. Facebook applications also gives them reminders about upcoming events should they lose track of their schedule.
• Online Office: This is a word processing application available through Facebook that allows users to create Word, PowerPoint and Excel presentations without leaving Facebook. Online instructors can use it create amazing presentations for their students to access.
• Delayed Lectures: Online instructors can easily post pre-recorded lectures on Facebook for their students to watch any time.

Educational Groups

On Facebook, online instructors can form various groups through which they can share information, meet other instructors, plan events or just socialize among themselves. Some of these groups include:

• Educators Using Facebook: This is a group of over 1,300 instructors who constantly share information.
• Facebook for Educators: This group focuses on developing new ideas of how online instructors can use Facebook to enhance their student’s learning experience.
• Educators of America: This group is basically a discussion forum that focuses on the politics within the educational system. They also offer various online resources than can help online instructors improve their material delivery.

When the president of the United States of America gave a ‘Back to School’ speech this year, he warned the children to be careful when using Facebook, the world’s biggest social networking website.

Nearly one-third of the employers use Facebook to check out about you before hiring you. So if you are going to post pictures of your ‘other ‘side on this public network it might cost you your dream job and a fat pay check. So think before you act.

However there are so many little things you can do to protect yourself at Facebook. Most non-tech savvy people don’t understand these features. So, they are explained in simple terms to you below:

i) Make Different Lists of Persons

Whenever you add someone to your Facebook Contacts List, categorize them as Work, Family or Friends. Even Friends can be categorized as Acquaintances, for those you are not very close with and friends, for those whom you share a close relationship with. This is very important as then you can fix who will view what and who will not have access to your personal stuff.

ii) Settings of Privacy

At the top right corner, you have a tab called ‘Settings‘. Click this and you will get the option ‘Privacy Settings’. When you click on that, you can set who can see what on your Facebook profile. For example, when you set ‘Only Friends’, only your friends can view it, ‘My Networks and Friends’ allows anyone in your network to view it.

iii) Address and Phone Number

When you click on ‘Privacy Settings, in the ‘Settings’ button, you will come across a tab called ‘Contact Information’. Click on it. You can allow/ block people whom you want/ don’t want to view this information.

iv) Search

Sometimes you just don’t want others to catch you on Facebook especially some old disgusting school friends and nosy parkers from office. For this, you can click on settings on the main Facebook homepage. Then click ‘Search’. You then land on a ‘Search Privacy’ page where you can set who can find you on Facebook. You can click on ‘Friends of Friends’, ‘My Networks and Friends’ or ‘Only Friends’ depending on the level of privacy you want to maintain. Also you can control what will show up when your profile shows up in search.

v) Don’t Share Personal Information with unknown applications

There are umpteen numbers of quizzes and games on Facebook that can access your personal information and also your friend’s personal information. You can put a stop to this. Take the mouse over to ‘Settings’ tab and choose ‘Privacy Settings’ and click it. Then click ‘Applications’ and click on the tab that says ‘Settings’. Then you can choose what your friends can view and cannot view about you. This only sets for your friend’s applications. For the applications you are using, this is not applicable. So, it would be best to remove those ones you are not using.

These five steps can surely create a much better and safer environment for you to network and chill-out on Facebook.