There’s no denying that the world of work is evolving. Telework, productivity tools and our perceptions of work are changing the way organizations do business and treat their employees. Managing our own career options is not only important — it’s a must.
Frequenting online career communities is one way to keep up to date on what’s happening in the working world and how it impacts your career. Many of these communities post job openings, but that’s not all they offer. The information and dialogue between community members can provide a valuable real-life perspective. Here are five career communities worth checking out.
1. LinkedIn
Today, users can leverage their LinkedIn profile by showcasing their skills and expertise, adding a Twitter stream, feeding blog posts and being active in groups. By joining a group, you can interact with other professionals in your industry, geographic area, alumni network and other categories (see above). Groups can be a great way to understand trends in your profession, learn about the key skills in your industry and get the scoop on job openings.
2. Beyond.com
The technology channel also highlights companies that are hiring, technology schools, free IT publications, career videos and trends in the technology sector. As you dive deeper, one of those communities is GeekCareers.net, which offers job seeker tools in the areas of interviewing and self-assessment, in addition to a recruiting blog.
3. Monster’s Career Advice Forums
The Monster Career Advice Forums are another useful feature of the site. The forums are divided into topic areas such as getting the job, career planning and industry insights. Forum users can ask questions and answer others. For example, one thread was about finding a job after being fired and how to explain it during an interview. Responses were candid and the forums appear to have some level of moderation, as there are not a lot of spam replies.
Monster highlights the most active forum conversations, so that you can read what people are saying even if you don’t have a specific question. After all, another job seeker in the forum might bring up something you never even thought about.
4. Glassdoor
If you’re interested in specific companies or you just landed an interview there, look them up on Glassdoor. Glassdoor is a community site where individuals can anonymously post the “inside scoop” on companies, jobs, salaries and benefits, based on their firsthand experiences. The comments answer the questions we’re all dying to know: Does the company offer advancement opportunities? What’s your impression of the management team? Does the company encourage in work-life balance?
In addition to learning the pros and cons of working at a given company, community members can gain insight to the company’s recruiting process. For example, comments will tell you whether the recruiter asks behavioral interview questions or opts for a panel interview format — all helpful things to know as you prepare for an interview. Glassdoor also publishes aggregated salary data, if you’re interested in seeing such information.
5. BranchOut
BranchOut is a new career networking site that integrates with Facebook, so it’s very easy to set up. You can also import your LinkedIn profile, which eliminates the need to double-enter information. BranchOut allows you many of the same features as other career sites — you can search jobs and give recruiters the ability to search for your profile. If you like giving and receiving recommendations, BranchOut also offers the option of endorsements.
With more than 500 million people on Facebook, the stats are in your favor that someone you know (or are connected to) can help with career questions, information and recruiting. BranchOut could be an option for people trying to utilize Facebook in both a personal as well as professional way — just make sure your Facebook profile is well-maintained.
Online career communities are becoming more than just places to list jobs. They are growing into information repositories to help people with their entire careers. What other career communities are you participating in? Leave us your experience in the comments.
Social Media Job Listings
Every week we put out a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we post a huge range of job listings, we’ve selected some of the top social media job opportunities from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!- Community Manager, La Mer at The Estee Lauder Companies in New York, NY.
- Community Manager for Microsoft Social Media at Uptown Treehouse in Los Angeles, CA.
- Social Media Sales Consultant at Social Lift Inc. in Troy, MI.
More Job Search Resources from Mashable:
– How Cloud Computing & Web Services Are Changing the IT Job Market
– 9 Dynamic Digital Resumes That Stand Out From the Crowd
– 12 Ways to Use Quora For Your Job Search
– Are Cover Letters Still Relevant For Social Media and Tech Jobs?
– HOW TO: Land a Job at 9 Hot Startups
- Image courtesy of iStockphoto, francisblack
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