Moving Forward

I'm writing this on the last day of my unemployment.  If you're a follower of this blog (and who isn't :P ) then you know from my last post what happened.  It's been almost three weeks, and I've been busier looking for a job than when I was working AT a job. ;)

I can't tell you enough how social networking played an important role.  It's really amazing.  Here's the breakdown:

• LinkedIn: I changed my status and updated my work experience.  The same day I was getting e-mails from people in my network about opportunities.  LinkedIn provided a majority of my leads.  It's also a great place to do research on prospective employers.  If you use LinkedIn (and I strongly suggest you do) then build your network up and get people to write recommendations of you (and you can also return the favor).  It's amazing who is on there.  Click here to see my profile.
  
  
• Facebook: Friends and family saw my status update and reached out to help me.  I made contacts at companies I never thought I would make.  Facebook friends also provided encouragement and support.
  
  
• Twitter: Through direct messages and status updates I was able to make contacts with industry experts, friends, and others who provided me with valuable information and opportunities.  I also made Twitter part of my day by sending out short messages of what I was reading, what I was interested in, etc.  This kept me "out in front" so when I contacted friends (or vice versa) we could refer to a previous status update. 
  
  
• This blog: Obviously this blog helped to explain my situation.

If you find yourself in the same situation I'm in I hope you'll use social networking to get you going again. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me (on any of the social networking sites).