Many people aren't social butterflies by nature, and cultivating contacts on multiple social networks can be tiring. If you'd rather focus on a single online community, use one that has good business tools. Facebook, despite its friends-and-family focus, offers services for job seekers, including industry-specific groups and career-oriented applications such as the . And is a business-networking site that lets users set up groups based on career and geographical region.

Try Something New

If online schmoozing doesn't open any doors, it may be time for a new strategy. When business dried up for Patrick Downes, who sold print-media advertising for 15 years, the Hyde Park, New York, resident turned to job boards and online contacts to find full-time work. But after six months of trying, he had limited success other than "a few little projects here and there."

Using Twitter, Downes learned of , a free service that tweets (notifies) job seekers about new openings in their occupation and geographical region. Within days after signing up for the service, Downes received a tweet about a Subaru dealership in Albany that was seeking a salesperson. "I love cars; I happen to have a couple of Subarus myself," says Downes, who called the dealership and was hopeful of receiving an offer soon. (For more, see ".")

Do It Yourself