In the April 19 edition of the Portland Sunday Telegram, Ann Kim wrote a useful article about social networking and how it's being used by today's job seekers.

She interviewed me wanting to know if my clients utilized Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn as part of their job search strategy.

Perhaps it's because the majority of my clients are over 45, and are not the largest users of social networking, but I had to honestly say "not many".

While I believe that it's not a bad idea to have a profile on LinkedIn, I can't say that I've heard any impressive employment results from having a LinkedIn page. As far as Facebook is concerned, it's essentially a site for socializing and not the best place to be seeking employment information.

Nonetheless, these days, I recommend that people do whatever they can to increase their visibility in the marketplace. Certainly, social networking sites, in particular, LinkedIn, can provide a broad venue for that to happen.

To enhance your participation on LinkedIn, consider joining a (LinkedIn) group that's associated with your job target. That way, you can post a question about networking or employment, as well as participate in discussions on relevant topics in your area of the marketplace.

You never know when a particular topic might come up in a job interview, so staying current and informed is key to making a great impression at the interview.