Do I need to be on LinkedIn or Facebook to get a job in the private sector?

Do I need to be on LinkedIn or Facebook to get a job in the private sector?

 
Q: Do I need to be on LinkedIn or Facebook to get a job in the private sector?
 
LinkedIn and Facebook are social media sites.  They enable you to network with others in the workforce.
 
Why is that important?  As I explain in my book Work Strong: Your Personal Career Fitness System, over a third of all open jobs are never advertised.  You won\’t find them listed in a newspaper or posted on a job board.
 
So, how can you find such opportunities?  By networking.  By making connections with others on the Web and in the real world.  The more of those connections you have, the better the chance that one of them will tell you about the perfect job for you.
 
Networking, however, is more than simply making connection.  To get the most out of your effort, you have to practice the Golden Rule of Networking.  “You have to give in order to get.”   In other words, if you want people to be helpful to you, you have to do the same for them.
 
So, whether you network at a social media site, a job club  or a career fair, make sure you work at your networking.  Make as many connections as you can and treat them the way you would like them to treat you.  That\’s one of the keys to a strong transition.