If you ask a Chinese person how to get a job, they’d say guanxi. Use your connections — parents, friends, etc. The instances of the son of a friend getting a job despite iffy qualifications are numerous but guanxi often gives informal access where formal access doesn’t exist. Compare the conception of meritocracy in America. If you meet the qualifications, you have a good chance of getting a job. And it’s not as if guanxi doesn’t exist in the U.S. or merit-based selection doesn’t exist in China, but these are good ideas to keep in mind when searching for a job.

I have been on both sides of that equation. But, to be honest, I much prefer the thought that I earned a position, thanks to my own ability and experience. I guess I like the idea that I can control my own future under a strict meritocracy.

With all the time I spent studying and actively using social media, I’m interested in the question of whether online social networks can count as a form of guanxi. Can I really rely on, or perhaps just use, these online ties to people I’ve never met to help me find a job? It’s a scary thought. But it somehow makes sense considering I am looking into careers in social media.

Online social network ties are probably not as strong as some guanxi ties and instead are “weak ties” (citation to a malcolm gladwell type researcher). The question is  what does an expanding set of weak ties get you? Furthermore, how do you approach your weak ties with job information. My every tweet on Twitter is not about my job search. My every facebook interactions is not about finding work. How do you put the word out without blasting your weak ties with your personal job ads?

I tried to keep secret where I applied to college during my senior year in high school. Most of my friends at least tried to exercise some discretion as well so that we had some semblance of privacy. We kept to ourselves despite having nothing to be ashamed of. NYTimes’ Choice blog covers this phenomenon today.

Now that I’m looking for work after graduating from college in January, it got me thinking. Do I keep job applications secret like I did college apps?

The quick answer is no. If you ask, I’ll tell you. But I’m certainly not social about job search (despite this article in the WSJ). By “social” I mean that for all the twittering, facebook, blogging, and social media I do, I don’t talk online about my own job search. I’ve been carefully reading and nodding along to what Willy Franzen has to say on the matter:

What I don’t understand is why job search has to be accompanied by solitude…Because job searching sucks, most people don’t want to talk about it. When they find a great article about job search, they keep it to themselves. How often do you see a friend post a job or an article about job searching Facebook? Now how often do you see a friend post a funny picture on Facebook? The technology is there for sharing, but you’re not using it (and neither are your friends)….People want to help you. That’s it. Don’t worry about competition. Don’t worry about being judged. Don’t worry about looking desperate. Your friends want to help. Your parents want to help. And most importantly, people who you don’t even know yet want to help.

I’m convinced by this argument. Without compromising my interaction with my potential employers, why shouldn’t I blog and reflect on the job search process? The more people who know I’m looking for a job, the more that will be on the lookout. And in this economy, I want to see and help my friends get suitable jobs too. So, I’m kicking off a holiday effort to be social about looking for work. Look for a few posts this month on the job search.