Rianna Mallard Lands a Job Thanks to Her Sister's Plea... on a Blog

Social networking was the tipping point for 22-year-old Rianna Mallard landing a job in Manhattan. And it was her sister Carlee's blogging and tweeting 500 miles away that did the trick.

The New York Post tells the story about how a newbie college graduate from Raleigh, N.C., bought a one-way ticket to the big city -- with no place to stay or job awaiting. Concerned, her sister back in North Carolina blogged a plea to HASO (Help A Sister Out). When the managing partner at Glenmark Realty found the blog on Google while doing a background search on the applicants, that convinced him to choose Rianna. He figured that if the sister pumped so much energy into this digital cheerleading, Rianna must be a good person.

So, how can you leverage social networking to help in your job search?

A lot depends on your tone. Employers want to hear the sound of sincerity, high energy to invest in the work, and gratitude for any professional break that comes your way, In addition, the content should reflect your knowledge of the field you are pursuing work in. For example, if you are trying to land something in BestBuy, passionately and confidently discuss gadgets. Also, use as keywords the brand names of organizations you would prefer to work for. Instead of retail chain, actually name BestBuy. Organizations track what appears on the Web about them. They might pay attention to your postings.


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