Best-selling careers author John Lees warns against internet-only job searching

We all know that finding a job in today’s current economic climate is tougher than before, but increasing numbers of job seekers are badly missing out if they are only using the Internet and social networking to find their next job according to John Lees, author of Career Reboot – 24 Tips for Tough Times (£9.99, McGraw-Hill, 2010) and a leading careers and working lives expert. "More and more job seekers ARE using social media to look for jobs, which is a worrying trend indeed," comments Lees.

Using the Internet can appear to be very attractive job search tool because it looks and feels like work sitting at a desk or laptop, registering on job boards and firing off emails and CVs. BUT Lees believes the BIG problem with this Internet activity is that successful job searches are about relationships – talking to people who can give you ideas and encouragement and making new connections “you need a relationship with people, not with Google,” says Lees.

While Lees recognises that the Internet is a great research tool, it is often not the best networking tool for job seekers because you end up in front of a screen far too long when you should be in front of people face-to-face. Only using an Internet-based job search means that you are hoping to get a big decision out of someone on the basis of a quick glance at your email and attachments. "This is not going to happen", says Lees. "And it is absolutely not the most effective way for you to build your personal brand in front of a recruitment audience."

Adds Lees: “Facebook, Linked-In and Twitter all look like quick and efficient methods of getting your job search out there and as a back up to face-to-face meetings they are great memory joggers – but if your only strategy is to seek your new job via your Blackberry you should think again. And fast. The reality is that you have more chance of a career breakthrough from a random conversation in Sainsbury’s than you do by spending a whole day in front of a screen.”

How social networking sites can get in the way of career change:

• Your personal branding ends up all over the place
• You send out all kinds of messages on all kinds of subjects. What do you hope to be remembered for?
• Electronic connections lead to electronic links – you end up looking at more websites and sending more emails in ever-increasing circles
• Twittering is great for getting a discussion raised, but poor for sending out a more complicated message about who you are and what you’re looking for
• Because it looks and feels like you’re conversing, you think you’re having conversations.  You’re not, you’re just twittering or updating Facebook
• You don’t get objective feedback. Everyone you know will usually tell you what you want to hear, not what you need to know
• Real feedback and advice takes time to give and time to absorb. Quick fixes often send you running in circles