It has been said, time and time again, that social media is an important and powerful tool in the job search. Those that don’t incorporate this medium into their strategy are at a disadvantage from others. Here’s some of the proof. Kelly Services, a U.S. human resources firm, conducted an annual online survey from October 2012, to January 2013 and polled 7,513 people in Canada in regards to social media and the job search.

The survey found that 39 per cent of Canadians who responded had been contacted through social media for employment opportunities. As well, a resounding 14 per cent of Canadian respondents had secured work through social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. These numbers will surely only increase over time.

In total, approximately 21,000 respondents participated in the survey from The Americas (United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Brazil). In all, 41% of all respondents responded favourably to social media for employment opportunities. See the full survey results here.

It is worth noting that Brazil stands out as a social media mecca, where 74 per cent of respondents stated they had been contacted through a social media site or network for potential employment. It is also interesting to point out that these results were not restricted to just younger generations. While 18% of Gen Y (18-28 year olds) found a job using social media, 14% of Gen X (29-42 year olds) and 12% of baby boomers did as well.

According to Michael Webster, Executive Vice President, Americas Region for Kelly Services, “Social media is rapidly revolutionizing the recruitment process because it broadens the access to an enormous pool of candidates,” It is clear that social media is no longer only for technology companies looking to secure talent, and that more and more employers are recognizing this medium as a huge asset in their recruitment efforts.

Social media is a force to be reckoned with in the job search. What started as a way to keep in touch with friends and family (Facebook), to a 140 character text to send out information (Twitter), to a professional networking site (LinkedIn), have all come together, along with other notable sites, to forever change the job search. As a job seeker, take the time to plan your own social media strategy. If you need a refresher, see the article: An introduction to using social media as a powerful job search tool.

Also remember that no one job search method is going to work for everyone in all industries. Social media is an important piece of the puzzle, but other avenues should also be explored. Visiting employer websites, job boards , industry blogs, or even meeting someone in person will go a long way in rounding out your job search. Can you imagine – face-to-face contact? Nothing can, nor should, replace being in the presence of another human being.

Even social media can’t replace actual personal human interaction –although I’m sure they are working on it.

Happy Hunting!

Kevin Makra is the President of Sentor Media Inc., and founder of DirectoryOfCareers.ca. He can be reached at kmakra@sentormedia.com.