You know a lot about technology, right? You’ve been using cell phones, communicating on Facebook and Instagram and streaming music for years. How hard can it be to use technology in a job search? The answer, as we say in Boston, is “wicked hard.” In fact, most college students and recent grads have serious misconceptions about how to use computers, smart phones, and the internet successfully when it comes to getting a job.

Take the quiz below to see how much you know about the technologies you need to get a great job today. What you don’t know will keep you unemployed longer. (You can’t actually click on the boxes below. Just count the number of “Yes” answers you can honestly give to these questions.)

	Yes	No
1. I can explain how an Applicant Tracking System works.
2. My resumes are written to successfully navigate an ATS.
3. I have a profile on LinkedIn.
4. My LinkedIn profile is 90% complete with recommendations, key words in the right places, and a list of groups I’ve joined.
5. I have and use a Twitter account.
6. I know how to use Twitter to find networking contacts and job opportunities.
7. I understand the pros and cons of blogging as part of my search strategy.
8. I understand the pros and cons of online job boards and how not to use them.
9. I understand how my digital footprint could keep me from getting a job, and I have cleaned up my act.
10. I understand how Facebook or Instagram can both help and hurt me in my job search.

Give yourself one point for each “Yes” answer to the questions in the quiz. If you scored 7 or above, you’re doing well, but there are still important things you can learn about using technology to find a job. Not knowing them could prolong your job search. If you scored 4-6, you’re average, but you’ve got a lot to learn. If you scored less than 4 on this quiz, you must be the parent of a new grad!

Now you know how much—or how little—you know about using technology in your job search. Don’t feel bad if you flunked. Most students do. Just because you’ve been using computers forever doesn’t mean you know how to use them for a job search. And there is a big difference between technologies to get a job and technologies to do a job. Of course, the applications you need depend on the types of jobs you’re applying for.

Applicant Tracking Systems — Unless you are only approaching very small companies, you must know about Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Ignorance in this area is the biggest technology pitfall facing job seekers today. And many career counselors don’t understand this technology themselves!

LinkedIn – Research for my book “Graduate to a Great Job: Make Your College Degree Pay Off in Today’s Market” shows that a lot of students know about this great networking tool. But they don’t know how to use it to really build their job search network. For example, have you joined your school’s LinkedIn alumni network?

Twitter – Okay, more and more students are using Twitter, but are you using it in ways that will help – or hurt – your job search? Do you know the difference?

Blogging & online job boards – These are two more widely misunderstood and misused technologies when it comes to post college job searches. For starters, STOP applying for jobs through those big online job boards. There are much more fun ways to waste your time.
Facebook – It’s amazing how many students don’t pay attention to their Facebook privacy settings. You must have your page locked down for maximum security. Virtually every potential employer is going to check you out on social media before interviewing you. And what’s the rest of your digital footprint look like? Have you Googled yourself lately? Every hiring manager is comparing you to a ton of other job candidates. How will your image on the web stack up to other new grads?

Technology can be a fantastic asset in your job search, but it can also kill your chances of putting your college degree to work in a job you really want. The first step is knowing what you don’t know about key applications. For more ideas on how to use technologies to speed up your job search subscribe to this blog. I’ll help you move faster “From Panic to Paycheck.”