Social Networking vs Professional Networking

Computer use has become very prevalent during the last few years. While 20 years ago only a few people knew how to use a computer, today even little children have access and are already very knowledgeable about how to use computers.

Together with this development, many networking sites have popped up offering users a chance at interacting with other people from different places either for friendship, business, or for sharing common interests.
This is called social networking. The process of utilizing websites and computer networks to connect with family and friends, share opinions and information with other people, meet new friends and interact with each other, sometimes even finding a mate.

Social networking allows individuals a chance to find friendship and build relationships. It has been a very important tool for families who live far from each other to connect and keep in touch with each other. Through social networking, people are able to find long-lost friends and family as well as find new friends and meet people who share the same interests. It has also been a tool for people to earn money especially if one uses a professional networking site.

While most social networking sites such as Facebook and Yahoo Messenger are used for personal interactions, professional networking sites such as LinkedIn and WiseStep.com are used for building business and professional relationships and interactions.
Professional networking sites allow users to look for jobs using connections to find one that will suit one’s qualifications. Other users and possible employers can view one’s profile and share recommendations. They also allow professionals from different fields of interest to share opinions and knowledge while allowing users to ask questions which can be answered by one’s connections and providing answers to questions which one is knowledgeable about.

While social networking sites also provide a means by which people can promote products and services, they are usually used for finding new friends and building social relationships rather than for professionals to find jobs and for businesses to find new employees.

Professional networking sites, on the other hand, allow businesses to post information about their companies which every member can view and letting them find new employees. It is also a tool for professional job seekers to post their profiles and find a job.

Summary:

1.Social networking is the process of using websites to connect with other people especially friends and family and to share information and opinions while professional networking is the process of using websites to connect with businesses and other professionals to look for employment or to share one’s knowledge.
2.Although social networking sites are also used to promote products and services, they are mostly used for personal interactions while professional networking sites are used for professional and business interactions.
3.In a professional networking site, users can post their profile which can be viewed by possible employers which also post their company’s profile while in a social networking site users post pictures, send and receive instant messages, and post updates about their lives.

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