Need Another Reason to Join a Professional Society? Here it is . . . .

I follow lots of trends in hiring and job search.  I was surprised recently at a networking event when a colleague looking for work reported she had recently gone to a "40 Plus" meeting about job search and the speaker said he didn't use LinkedIn and was unfamiliar with its value.

That surprise was surpassed by today's shock when I read in The Grapevine that "Half of job seekers and hiring managers don't use social media", according to a survey by the recruitment firm Robert Half.

What was useful and interesting was the survey's finding that "professional networks are still strongly favored over social networking sites" and the assessment that most companies "embrace a more traditional approach including use of online job boards, employee referrals and recruitment consultancies."

So to those who say they are too busy to get out there and network, take a role in a professional society and become known to colleagues, recruiters and organizations here is further evidence you are shortchanging yourself and your career.