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This year, 43% of Americans over the age of 65 use at least one social media networking site – compared to 26% of seniors in 2010 (www.mashable.com). Although seniors have significantly increased their use of social media, they still trail behind other age groups. We have also witnessed during the past few years that more and more baby boomers are forced to extend their professional life. The average retirement age for Americans is 61 – the highest it’s been in the past 22 years, according to a study by Gallup.

Since technology has become more prevalent in our everyday lives, social media have gained a reputation of successful job search tool. To go along obvious social advantages, social media also boast professional benefits. But they can be difficult to navigate for new users. Just like for everything else, practice makes perfect; the more you use social media, the more sense they make. Listed below are five simple job search tips for social media beginners.

1) If you haven’t already, create a LinkedIn account, add your resume, and let your network know that you are looking for a job.

2) Refer to LinkedIn’s Job tab to see customized job listings specifically tailored for you.

3) After creating your LinkedIn account, hyperlink your LinkedIn profile to your Twitter account to make it easier for hiring companies to see.

4) Use Twitter‘s search bar to search trending topics such as “hiring” “jobs” “employment”. Many companies have begun posting job listings on their Twitter handle.

5) Make your Facebook page private if you don’t want a potential employer looking at your recent status updates. (Click here for instructions on how to make your Facebook page private.)