Social media can be used for more than catching up with your high school friends or peaking at the lastest family reunion pictures. The various social media platforms can be a job-hunter's biggest asset. Gone are the days where the only way to find a job is sifting through the newspaper classifieds. Now, more than ever, logging onto a social networking platform can lead you to your next full-time gig.

Mike Yoder is a social media strategist and consultant working with a variety companies. He says job hunters should take time to sign up for the free professional networking site LinkedIn. "People have migrated online," explains Yoder, "and they're using things like Monster, Career Builder as well as other sites as well as social media sites like LinkedIn to search for jobs and network for jobs." He adds, "That's the place to be - in social media. It by far has the largest audience in terms of registered users at 90 million and adding new ones every second.

Yoder points out building those connections online will eventually lead you to the decision-maker in the company you want to work for.  Someone you've been connected with in the past, can connect you to others. They can also write recommendations for you on LinkedIn.

Yoder explained, "It's about who you know. Certainly you need to have the talent, the ability, the skills, the experience, but when 100 or 200 or 300 people are applying for the same job...how do you rise to the top of the stack of resumes?"

That's exactly what Christina Torri was faced with.

"I wanted to be in social media," said Torri. "I started blogging a lot more about various thoughts and utilizations of social media and I did it just as my voice and just as me, but you know trying to showcase my talents."

Torri had a blog that eventually caught her bosses' eye. Shortly after, he sent her a facebook friend request.

"I was a little surprised," she admits. "I didn't know who he was, but for some reason I accepted it even though I normally didn't do that. A week later, I ended up running into him at a networking event. He was very impressed with me, sent a message on FB just saying how impressed he was with me and wanted to know more about me and what I did."

Torri was eventually hired as the Social Media Coordinator Mindscape at Hanon McKendry. "It was kind of funny because I had written a blog about why you shouldn't be Facebook friends with your employer on Facebook," she says with a laugh.

Yoder says Twitter, when using the search.twitter.com option, can be a good source when job hunting because it's immediate.

"It's very relevant ..right now...so you could find those resources that maybe could be helpful in your job search," he says. And Facebook and blogs are great places to learn more about companies before you submit your resume. Yoder says, "If you are trying to research companies and find out some of those key people in those companies, blogs might be a great place to go."

While all of that helps in the job hunt, Torri says following up offline is just as important. "Being behind the computer is a great way to help foster connections, but it's not the only way. Get out into the public and network," she says.

Almost three years ago, Yoder created LinkedUp Grand Rapids which gives people that opportunity during various mixers. It has 6,300 members to date. Yoder explains, "People can attend. You'll have the opportunity to meet them face to face. Now that you know a little bit about them, because of their presence on LinkedIn."

Plus, with a growing number of companies "Googling" prospective employees online, having a LinkedIn presence may give you an edge over all the rest. Yoder says it's important to note that while you're job hunting via social media, remember what he calls the "3 B's" : Be interesting, be relevant and be helpful.

And Torri adds that you should make sure that your profile pictures and profile should match across all social media channels, especially if you have a common name. That way if an employer does a search, they find the "correct" you and not someone else who could damage your brand.