Social networking is vital in today’s job search. If a job seeker is not yet aware of the benefits of social networking, they may never be aware of their missed opportunities.

The most utilized and effective networks today are LinkedIn and Facebook and now Twitter. They are invaluable for establishing relationships with targeted contacts. These networking sites are databases at your disposal for researching industries, locations, fields, and companies. Job seekers that are focused and aggressive in their search can and should utilize these sites regularly to gather information, make contacts, and establish their expertise or value.

More defined and targeted networking can be conducted within groups in LinkedIn, fan pages on Facebook or being established on a list of someone worth knowing professionally on Twitter. Once you get the hang of it you’ll discover the thrill of being asked to be someone’s friend, be followed or to be added to a professional network.

I see job seekers that are on track with their career goals, writing articles, commenting on industry related news and use social networking to build their brand. They are driven and getting noticed. But for many job seekers and professionals using networking sites, I see much more socialization than social networking. There are always new topics and conversations being discussed on the networks and if you’re not careful you can get easily distracted.

Because it is so intoxicating, job seekers feel they are progressing when really they are forgetting that “being busy does not equal being productive”. It is important to recognize the difference and stay focused, remembering that their end goal is to find a job, not socialize the days away.

If you have been on the networks all day or maybe for days and do not have scheduled phone, Skype or in person meetings than you are probably not as productive as you would like to think. To find success a job seeker needs to concentrate their networking on a targeted area and network for results.

Reminders taped to your computer or a detailed plan of your weekly job search strategies that allot a specific time for networking will help you stay on course. Work as hard on your job search as you did at your job for fastest results. Once you’ve found a new job you can socialize more on the networks – but for now keep your eye on the prize — a job.