Have you been trying out Google+ for your job hunt? It promises to be an important addition to social networking strategies for job seekers, and it’s important to try to keep on top of opportunities to engage and grow your communities and to learn new information via online tools. I believe there are three big reasons to use social media:

To expand the number of people you know and who know you.
To learn new information pertinent to your field from mentors and thought leaders, and
To illustrate your expertise with a community of people who may connect you to opportunities based on learning about you and what you know.

Google+ allows users to accomplish all of these goals in similar ways to other networks, such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn; it very easy to open up pathways to connect with people you’ve never met and to engage in an in-depth conversation. This engagement compares, in many ways, to Twitter, where it is possible to connect, meet, and learn from people you don’t already know, without barriers requiring introductions.

Google+’s value add is the fact that Google controls much of search traffic. Any tie to being “found” online and any boost Google+ may provide gives this new network extra value.