Generally I think the population is starting to feel a very slight turn in the economy, but many Americans are still without jobs, 14.5 million to be exact. The most popular sites to currently find a job online are monster.com, careerbuilder.com, and now even craigslist.com. If these sites are not working for you try using social media sites that now offer job boards and networking capabilities that the other traditional job sites do not offer.

The social news media site reddit.com recently created a new job board at redditjobs.com. The site has a simple, clean look and has a cute image of the Reddit alien sporting a suit and carrying a briefcase. This job board seems like a great place to look for a job since the users of the Reddit community are smart, tech savvy and young. I found job postings for cool companies like Conde Nast, Meebo, and even Loopt.

A popular web site for freelancers and web workers is odesk.com; now they have teamed up with Facebook using Facebook Connect to get the word out about job openings. A company like Odesk recognizes the power of social networking to attract job seekers. Odesk attracts companies that are anywhere from trendy startups to more established companies looking for potential recruits that would use a site like Odesk to find a job. You can go to Odesk’s fan page on Facebook and see recent updates about Job offerings and stay up to date by becoming a fan.

LinkedIn, www.linkedin.com, is a great networking tool.  Here you can join for free, completely fill out your career history, upload your historical address book and the site will provide you with those in your address book already on LinkedIn.  Use this resource to connect with specific industries, companies and organizations and engage.  I know someone who must have linked up with over 300 sources and he got a great new job after being laid off from a long term employer.  If he can do it, you can do it.

If you are constantly sending out your resume to many job openings, think about everyone else who is doing the same thing. A creative way to get ahead of the curve and make your resume stand out from others is by tweeting your contact information to include your @(twitteraddress). The power of Twitter is changing the world’s communication in countless ways. The fact that you have a @twitteraddress might impress a potential employer and might even interest them enough to go on Twitter and see your updates. Create a professional background on your Twitter page with information resembling a business card and lists interests so that the employer is able to learn more about you. Also, tweet about articles and subjects that have to do with the industry you are looking to get hired in. A potential employer will appreciate the fact that you are truly interested and keeping up to date with trends in your trade.

Almost everyone knows how to use some of what the internet has to offer, but you will need to expand your understanding of the great social networking tools to set yourself apart from your competition.  Get to know and embrace social media and social networking.  Be a giver, a contributor online.  Don’t just ask for things.  Give and you will get.  Just don’t stop!

@MelGonzalez