Is Google+ Really a Plus for Job Seekers?

Many IT/tech candidates ask us at ITtechExec about the effectiveness of Google+ in their social media job search. They've obsessed over their LinkedIn profiles. They've cleaned up and fixed up their Facebook accounts. They've begrudgingly joined "the Twitter" (because they read that they should). And now they hear Google+ is a must as well.

But the idea of managing yet another social media account exhausts them. So they want to know, "Is Google+ really such a plus?"

My answer, "yes....and no."

I know. It's an annoying response because it isn't the definitive answer we all are looking for.  

Welcome to the wonderful world of social media. Very little of it is definitive.

Here's the "yes" part of the answer. Google+ can be a plus for job seekers for a couple of reasons:

1. Google+ is growing...and growing. And the atmosphere is different than it is elsewhere. You can post and share content differently, Google keeps adding new features, and you can present your professional background while tying in all of your social media profiles together.
2. The communities on Google+ are active, and that bodes well for job seekers. The communities are sensitive to spam, and they often are happy to promote job openings as well as job seekers.

Now here's the "no" part of the answer:

1. Like social media in general, you can waste time on the wrong things on Google+. You can share, share, share until the cows come home, and engage, engage, engage until you are blue in the face. And not really get anywhere. So it's wise to have a presence and use it somewhat, but don't go overboard.
2. The site is overly sensitive to spam. Although we all despise the dreaded spam, in many cases, the communities on Google+ take it too far. Self-promotion and spam are not the same things necessarily, and social media is meant to give people an outlet to brand and promote their expertise. Google takes the higher ground and says that others should promote you, while you promote others. I am actually in one community that will kick you out if you even dare to share one of your own blog articles. It's a nice thought, but it's a little silly to ban me from sharing informative articles that are meant to assist people in my communities (like this one; I won't be able to share this one with my circle friends in that community for fear of eternal banishment from the group).

So, in the quest to decide which social media sites to use during your job search, Google+ is certainly one option. But you do need to learn how best to use it, develop a strategy for your search, and build connections quickly (unless you have enough foresight to build them BEFORE you start your search, which is the best social media approach of all).

I came across this infographic from PlusYourBusiness.com that I thought had some good tips for how to get started with Google+. Enjoy.