If you’re looking for a job, social networking skills count...

Social networking has become more and more intertwined with careers and job hunting...

If you use it right, it can really broaden your exposure and open some doors. Career and networking expert, Barbara Patchter, has some professional advice on how to use the 3 big ones:

• LinkedIn: Fill in your profile completely and include a professionally appropriate photograph. It’s important to join LinkedIn Groups in your field and participate in discussions - just be sure you don't make it all about you. Congratulate others on their successes and share relevant leads and industry buzz.

• Twitter: When it comes to tweets, go for quality over quantity: Tweeting all the time is the equivalent of talking too much. Don't just tweet about yourself. Be gracious and tweet about others. If you're looking for work, use TweetMyJobs, a Twitter-based jobs database.

• Facebook: Professional contacts may ask to friend you on Facebook and may feel insulted if you turn them down. As an alternative, ignore the request and ask them to join you on LinkedIn instead. However, you may find you have better access to customers if you do connect with them on Facebook. If you're starting a business, consider creating a separate Facebook page for it.