February 22, 2012 | British Columbia

Students and college graduates can now use various social networking sites to find the right job. Recruiters are increasingly using services such as LinkedIn and even Facebook to reach out to potential employees.

While LinkedIn is the more obvious of the two to use as a recruiting tool, each has its own role in the process. The job networking site works best as the search basis for narrowing down potential applicants. Whether recruiters choose to post a job opening on their company page and wait to discover which candidates respond or directly contact the potential employees themselves, LinkedIn essentially enables recruiters to view applicants' resumes before they even consider the job.

Facebook is another source that employers use to find potential employees. The site has services such as a marketplace, company pages and ad postings that can all be used to help attract qualified applicants. However, the Facebook's privacy settings are constantly evolving, and some users may have more on display in their profiles than they should. Developing credibility may be a bit more difficult within on Facebook than LinkedIn.

Of all graduates about to enter the workforce, IT grads are one of the most sought after on social networking sites. Whether they've got an education in programming, networking or systems support, recent grads may be able to land the right job by boosting their online presence.

Those interested in training for an IT career should check out the range of technology programs at CDI College. For more information, fill out the form on the right.