In a recent study about the hiring practices of around 3,100 companies, almost a quarter of the hiring managers surveyed said that they look into social networking sites to trawl for job candidates. This is a significant increase from the rates of prior years, which hovered at just 11 percent in 2006.

Thus, even if you do pass the rigorous PMP exam, you will be well advised to employ social networking sites to get yourself in the radar of hiring managers of top companies in your industry. After all, there are thousands of other project managers who passed the PMP exam, who possess equivalent educational achievements, who have similar wealth of experience and who own comparable charming personalities.

Don'ts of Creating Your Social Networking Profiles

As a project manager, you are expected to follow the code of professional ethics that seeks to uphold the integrity of the profession. (Again, look into the Professional and Social Responsibility of the PMP exam. It might comprise just 9 percent of the total PMP exam but it can cause your failure in it)

With this code of professional ethics in mind, you should be very careful about writing incriminating evidence against your professional capabilities and personal abilities in your linked personal blogs and social networking sites. Whatever is on your mind, do not include the following:

* Information on drug and alcohol use and abuse
* Provocative photographs and inappropriate information on the personal level
* Fictitious qualifications and recommendations
* Sharing of confidential information from previous employers, including maligning them
* Racist and sexist remarks including anti-religion posts
* Links to criminal behavior of any kind

In essence, you have to project an image of integrity, of professionalism and of trustworthiness. You have to bear in mind that whatever your marks in the PMP exam, you are not alone and you are not unique in this achievement. You will still be judged based on your personal qualities.

Do's of Creating Your Social Networking Profiles

On the positive side, you should ensure that your online profile, blogs, links and resume follow the factors hiring managers look for when considering job candidates. These include:

* Your background information supports your qualification - be honest about them because these will be checked and double-checked by the company
* Your communication skills reflect your ability to interact and communicate with various levels of organization - be a great communicator
* Your online image is that of a professional project manager - be one, write like one, think like one, and act like one
* Your posted references point to your capabilities - be friendly with your social network and with your employers, past and present
* Your interests are wide and varied - be a well-rounded individual who can function outside of the corporate scene
* Your profile is creative - be imaginative but not over-the-top

Ultimately, you will be meeting the hiring managers in person. Your online persona should match, if not exceed, the expectations of the company.

And that, my dear project managers, is how you ensure that your PMP exam credentials can turn into project management gold courtesy of the Internet!