Social networking isn't just for wasting time online, though it can be used for that! In today's world, social networking is a powerful tool for job networking. If you haven't yet utilized this tool, you may want to consider trying it. Social networking helps you connect with colleagues and job leads you wouldn't otherwise have access to, and it also gives you an online presence so potential employers can find you.

When you're searching and applying for IT jobs, you want a potential employer to be able to find you online. You also want to be able to control the type of online information they can find about you.

How can you do this? First, create the kind of information you would like an employer to see. Consider joining social networking sites that are designed for professional networking. Sites like LinkedIn.com and MyWorkster.com allow you to create a profile, link with colleagues, and share a resume online. Consider signing up with one or more of these types of sites.

You should also make sure that your online presence in the social networking world contains nothing you wouldn't want potential employers to see. Many people create blogs or post pictures on MySpace or FaceBook and don't realize that this information is available for anyone to view.

If you have a FaceBbook or MySpace account, you can change your privacy settings to prevent colleagues or potential employers from viewing your profile. You can also edit your profile to contain only things that you wish employers to see, such as a resume and contact information.

The easiest way to find out what potential employers can see is to use a search engine and search for your name. What are the results? Do you like what people can see about you? If not, make changes by putting up profiles of information you'd like others to see, and removing any profiles or pictures that you'd prefer to remain private.

Networking is an important way to find IT jobs, and social networking is a great way to connect online. You have the ability to not only control what potential employers see, but to also connect and network through the social networking tools.