social media can be good for a job search. seriously.

We've all heard the warnings about how Facebook and Twitter can hurt your chances for a job because of photos or posts you've made. It's easier to find all of your wrong-doings and moments of indiscretion, for one, and if you make posts about something in a group or on a fan page, you never know who may see it. This is all true, but social networks can be a helpful part of your job search, if you play your cards right.

Here's how: Become a pseudo-expert on something.

It's no secret that I work in the sports industry, and so do many of my friends. Some of them use their Twitter accounts and their blogs to discuss topics that are important to sport. My friend Travis writes about college athletics, and what ideas he thinks are key to creating a successful athletic program.

Twitter and blogs are probably the best way to get your message across, at least if you're trying to seem knowledgeable. There are very few fields that you couldn't tweet or blog about. A friend of mine is pursuing a degree in criminal justice, and she is a teacher's assistant for an introductory-level class in that field, which leads her to have interesting observations about the students who are enrolled and the lack of knowledge we all probably have for politics and history. Perfect topic. You can critique events, movies, music - anything.

You're not limited to just an occasional tweet and a blog post now and then. Join groups on LinkedIn or Facebook, and take part in the discussions! Show that you can be part of an online community on a particular topic, and maybe even connect it to how you can be part of that community in reality.

Post videos to YouTube. Post photos or other art to Flickr. There are so many networks to sign up for and be a part of, and it's easy to turn this into a positive way to get your name or your "brand" out there for others to see. Getting involved online and making a name for yourself in a certain community is much better than limiting your posts to Jersey Shore or the Miss Universe pageant. Those posts can be fun, but they don't demonstrate your knowledge on much, unless you're looking for a job in pop culture.

Job searches are not easy. Continual updates to your resume and your cover letter to fit particular positions is not how anyone really wants to spend a day. Figure out what you want to do and what direction you need to go to get there. You don't need to know particulars, but having an idea of what you want to do will help you in the long run. Spending some of your free time building networks through social media can help you learn more about topics that interest you while essentially building a virtual resume. These networks can make you more knowledgeable, so you're ready to tackle interviews and new job prospects head on when the time comes.

Have you used social media to your advantage before? In your opinion, what are the pluses and minuses of social networking during a job search?

don't be afraid...

Think about how much of your week is spent at work. If you work full-time, you likely are at work at least 40 hours, if not more. That's a long time. Even if you're not at the office, if you're anything like me, you might still be checking your email, monitoring a Facebook page or keeping tabs on your @replies on Twitter. The world never sleeps, and when you're working with social networks, it means you always are keeping an eye on what people are saying about you or your brand.

And maybe, like me, you're what might be considered a lower-level employee. Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying your opinion is any less important than the higher-ups, but you just don't have as much say in how your organization runs. It happens. We all have to start somewhere. It's just how the world works. (Unless you're lucky.)

However, your youth (either universal or simply within your company) shouldn't hold you back. It's important to form positive relationships with your co-workers, especially upper-management. This is not news. You already know this. You know networking is one of the most important things you could ever do in a job, whether it's with your CEO or someone you meet at some sort of event. It matters. Trust me.

Your work relationships create a better community. Go figure, right? This article sums it up perfectly: we're Gen Y and we want "an office and a work culture that's an extension of [ourselves] and [our] home life - a place that supports what [we] value." We don't want a place that is uncomfortable, or that makes us mad when we wake up and realize we have to go there most days of the week. We expect a lot in the workplace, and sometimes we end up in an office culture that doesn't offer what we were hoping for.

So here's some advice: make suggestions. Don't be afraid to think of ways that the office culture can improve, and then bring them up to your manager, director or even the CEO (which, of course, might be a lot easier at a smaller organization compared to a mega corporation). Maybe you'll throw out a great idea that no one has ever thought of before, and it'll spark some sort of new program in your workplace. We're an innovative generation, and we've always had new ideas and technologies thrown our way every couple of months. Why shouldn't that translate into our office community?

So take a deep breath. Take a chance. Find a sounding board and use it to throw out new ideas for your office, your organization or even more specifically, your own position! Maybe your suggestion won't evolve into much else, but it's okay to reach out to your community and take a chance.

And if you don't have a suggestion box, maybe it's time to suggest one.

Confucius say:

"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."

That's really all there is to say.