Share topics and post information onto your own profile for your audience, but also get involved in groups on LinkedIn or chats on Twitter.  There are thousands of chats and groups for a wide variety of industries, specialties, or job searching

in general. Do some exploring and request to join the group or start following the Twitter chat.

Maintain a positive attitude and be flexible. Those two skills can save you from many future career headaches. Not everyone will be willing to connect. Remember that networking is a two-way street. Prioritize your connections based on 

who has a job you'd love to do, or who works for one of your target employers, and focus your efforts strategically.

By building relationships, you can become a resource on certain topics for your network. Gaining credibility takes time, but let the process happen naturally. Conduct research, search for best practices, gain more experience and get in contact with people that share their experience.

A hiring manager may look you up on Google during some point of the job search process. Any site you join for professional networking purposes should serve as a complement to your resume.  That means whether you post blogs, tweets, or share information on

LinkedIn, all your content should be professional and error free. These pages can validate your candidacy and make you stand out among the competition.