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ALAN KENNEDY, 54, had never used social networking sites until he was laid off from his job as an engineer last November. Then he did what many job seekers are now advised to do: he set up profiles on Facebook and LinkedIn.

ALAN KENNEDY, 54, had never used social networking sites until he was laid off from his job as an engineer last November. Then he did what many job seekers are now advised to do: he set up profiles on Facebook and LinkedIn.

If you have avoided social-networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook with the excuse that they are the domain of desperate job hunters or attention-seeking teenagers, it's time to reconsider.

"Workers fired or disciplined for bad-mouthing employers on social-networking sites are fighting back using a decades-old labor law-a new front in the murky battle over what workers can do and say online."

According to a survey from LinkedIn, 63% of professionals worldwide are "happy" or "very happy" in their current jobs. In the U.S., 66% are happy. The professional networking site surveyed 12,000 LinkedIn members in 16 countries who have agreed to be contacted for research purposes.

"When Audrey Kane joined TGI Friday's U.S. division in 2005, the middle manager learned she might gain a vice presidency someday. She became a regional VP of the restaurant chain in August 2009 - a year sooner than she expected. Ms. Kane believes her participation in an outside training program hastened her promotion because she improved her internal negotiation and networking skills. "

"As an entrepreneurial woman with big ideas in the rural, small-town environment of central New Hampshire, Leslie Sturgeon faced plenty of challenges to building her business - especially because when she launched her first company, she was only 22 years old. "

"When I do a seminar for prospective career changers, I always ask the audience how many people are using LinkedIn to communicate directly with contacts in their new industries. Typically, only a handful of people raise their hands. But given the fact that tapping the social-media groundswell is one of the best ways to launch a new career, active participation in sites like LinkedIn should be 100%."

If LinkedIn Corp. wants to avoid being swamped by social-networking giant Facebook Inc., it will have to convince users like Jackie Nejaime to log in more often they do now.

Just before the current recession set in, 35-year-old Just before the current recession set in, 35-year-old Samuel Peery quit a stable job as a vice president of marketing to start his own social-networking company. Unable to secure funding for his start-up, Mr. Peery, of Lehi, Utah, was left unemployed, with an unrealized dream.

"NBC made two critical missteps six years ago when the network signed Mr. O'Brien to replace Mr. Leno in 2009, say management consultants. It's a bad idea to promise someone a promotion in order to retain him, they say, and so is naming a successor too far in advance. "

Top Ten Networking Tips for Alumni written by Leslie Camacho.

"Internships-the vast majority of which are unpaid-have become a staple of the college experience. In 1992, only 9% of graduating college students had participated in internships; by 2006 that figure increased nine-fold to 83% (Ortner 1997/1998; NACE 2008), representing at least 2.5 million student workers each year. Internships are often beneficial for both the student and the employer. Students can gain valuable insights into the nature of a certain occupation or industry, specific skill development, exposure to a network of contacts in a field of interest, and experience in the professional world. In turn, employers can engage in low-cost workforce training and vetting for future employment."

There are many platforms out there that may help your personal brand - for instance, Twitter to promote your work or Facebook to interact with customers. Though those social networks can absolutely help your image and brand, they serve their users for multiple purposes.

In this economy, you need to take advantage of every available resource to propel your career. Finding a mentor-and preferably a network of mentors-is an easy and smart way to get started. And, it won't set you back financially the way hiring a career coach would. Here's how.

While understanding the Internet's role in the job search and career development has always been important for professionals, the emergence of new Web technologies, such as social media, blogging and social networking have permanently changed the playing field.

With unemployment at a 23-year high, job seekers need to expand the ways in which they search, say career and workplace experts. These days setting up and maintaining an online presence is often critical to finding work. But for an accomplished professional, it might seem daunting to build up a social-networking presence from scratch. Here's how to do it:

Julie M. Heup, an unemployed structural engineer from Slinger, Wis., recently attended a networking event where she handed a local employer two business cards: her own and that of her husband, Mark. Mr. Heup, a jobless supply-chain manager, often returns the favor. The two 40-year-olds never anticipated simultaneous layoffs. "I figured the likelihood of it happening at the same time was slim to none," says Mr. Heup, who lost his job three months after his wife did in November. That's why "we are supporting each other," he says.

The unorthodox gambits failed these job seekers-but taught them plenty about finding work, and could provide a playbook for countless unemployed Americans. Mr. Persky learned to become a multi-faceted entrepreneur. Mr. Williamson discovered why personal networks matter. Ms. Greco recognized the importance of targeted marketing.

Earlier this month, Virginia Chu, laid off and looking for job leads, found herself in downtown Manhattan, along with a few hundred other professionals. Like Ms. Chu, 37 years old, most of the attendees at New York's first LaidOffCamp were unemployed and came to listen to advice on topics like starting a business and the basics of networking. But the gathering was not a standard-issue job fair. Instead of hired speakers lecturing on how to find a new job or start a business, the attendees themselves were leading the discussions. And though a few employers were on hand, the focus of the day wasn't on being recruited, but on finding resources and new contacts.