I had written earlier, how Google+ might provide a much-needed compromise between the white-collared primness of Linkedin, and frat-party wildness opf Facebook. Google's latest attempt at social networking, might not have picked up pace as fast as would have been expected. It has also been plagued by high drop out rates. Yet, the future seems much more positive, as Google+ expects to reach 400 million+ users by mid-2012.

Those who do regularly use Google+ will loyally, if not vociferously, stand by it. It gives respite from the flood of information that drown your average Facebook homepage. At least, you get to choose what you want to know. At the same time, it is not as dull and impersonal as a Linkedin profile.

So how great a tool is your Google+ profile in supplementing your job search? I would say it's quite a valuable one. Everyone in the look out for a job turns up on Linkedin. Job seekers have almost turned it virtually into another online job board. It's hard to get noticed by employers and recruiters in such a tightly packed room. More importantly, even when a recruiter come4s across your profile, there's nothing to offer that really makes you stand out. Where's your personality?

Here's why I feel Google+ is so valuable. Your Google+ profile should be very stragetically positioned – not too dull and formal, yet not too revealing either. A recruiter or hiring manager will come acroiss your Google+ profile only when they come across your name some place. So they already know you do have the right qualifications. You just have to back this up with a sparkling personality.

The Portfolio

Your Google+ page is a great place to build your professional credibility. Use it as a platform to build a veritable portfolio for yourself. Create a portfolio blog/website, and add links to your Googel+ profile. Subscribe to relevant groups and pages, which contain substantial inductry-related articles and discussions. If you have written guest posts for a professional blog or website, provide links to these articles. You could even add online citations for any awards or certificates you had received in the past.

Photos and Pictures

The thumbnail strip at the top of your Google+ profile is a great place to advertise your creativity. Many users have updates multiple images here, which come together to form a composite banner. What about using these as different sections of a resume? Or stick with photographs themselves. They will give your employers a glimpse into your inside life. Add photos which show you in a positive light – like at work, out hiking, organizing an event, or at graduation. Just make sure you take out or block pictures which are too revealing or offensive.

Lead them There

Make sure that you do not underutilize your Google+ profile, or neglect it because you have few friends on board. In fact, having few contacts on this social network might work out in your advantage. This will help keep your profile less cluttered with personal junk posts. As it has not quite caught on, many recruiters might not check for profiles on Google+. So make sure you add it as a reference link on your resume. Also provide links from your other social networking channels – Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and your blog.

Once your employer finds that your personal side matches your sparkling resume, they will be moved to make a move for you. Who knows, they might even be grateful you introduced them to the brave new world of Google+ !