Can Social Networks Help My Career?

Simply put, yes, social networks can indeed help us get a job or get a promotion. To begin, we must understand what is necessary to be a star in the labour market - first of all we need to have experience in the field; second comes the talent to achieve what others cannot; and last but not least comes the right contacts.

Well-placed contacts are often the stairs that enable us to reach better career prospects, but how do you actually go about connecting with a potential employer or an important company? To answer that question, we must refer to the well-known theory of the “six degrees of separation”.

It is known as the theory of "six degrees of separation" in reference to the hypothesis that tries to prove that anyone on the planet can be connected to any other through a chain of acquaintances. In this case, five people plus the person in question. The theory was proposed in 1930 by the Hungarian writer Frigyes Karinthy in a story called ‘Chains’.

A very clear example is Kevin Bacon’s “six degrees of separation” game. At one time it was said that this actor was the most connected middle-man around and that he could reach anyone. So, how did Kevin Bacon come to Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuckzynski? Kevin Bacon made a film with Emma Stone, who made several films with Woody Allen, who made a film with Jean Luc Godard, who is cousin of Pedro Pablo Kuckzynski.

Applying this same logic we can safely say that the more contacts I have in my social networks, the easier it will be to reach the person who may well become my next employer. That is to say, if I know a person who knows another person who knows another person etc… it is very possible that I will eventually reach the appropriate individual.

Another important factor of social networks is the “free advertising” they provide to us as users. The networks serve to promote us as professionals and employable people.

When crafting your online profile be mindful about what you include; limit your posting and publicly-available information to that which presents you as person of interest to employers. Another important point is to be positive and proactive - our comments on the network should show a human being of values ​​and principles.

Utilising these simple tips, the only question that remains is whether have you do in fact possess the intention of arising in the workplace, since these aids do not replace effort and perseverance.

Guest Post by Luis Del Prado

Luis is a scriptwriter, teacher and journalist for newspapers and magazines in Lima.

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