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Don't hesitate to use Twitter, Facebook and other social media outlets in your search for a job.

"There are are companies who post jobs through Twitter," said Katie Mantooth, career counselor at the Auburn University Career Center. "And that's the only way you are going to find out about that job with that company is through their Twitter post. There are people who get picked up by recruiters because of their Twitter feed."

Steven Chappell, student media specialist at Simpson College in Iowa, recently spoke on social media strategies at the College Media Association conference in New York City.

He said a misconception about social media is that when students first start using it, their personal information and posts are public to everyone, unless privacy settings are changed.

Using Twitter as an example, he said many people believe their tweets aren't being seen unless they are being followed by someone.

"That's not necessarily the case," he said. "Everyone sees what you post."

Both Mantooth and Chappell said "branding" different accounts is a way to use social media effectively.

Chappell said branding is establishing a specific persona on social media accounts based on a user's posts, comments, links and followers. He said content can either vary or be consistent accross social media sites or accounts.

For example, Mantooth has branded her Twitter account as a place to find career information.

Mantooth said when people search for her on Google, not only will people see her professional profile on LinkedIn, but also her Twitter account with job search strategies for students and adults. Her blog and Facebook will appear as well, each adopting the same brand.

"Absolutely within two pages of a Google search, you should find all that stuff," Mantooth said. "And students can do that strategically."

Mantooth said it's hard to determine whether one's Facebook should be set to completely private and depends on the industry the applicant is in. She said applicants could be hurt in the recruiting process if employers aren't able to see a candidate's social media accounts.

Mantooth suggested using multiple accounts as a way to separate personal posts from a brand that would be inviting to potential employers.

"I think that's a good solution," Mantooth said. "I don't know that that's ideal because again they can still find your other stuff."

She said all it would take is for someone to find followers in common between Facebook and Twitter and a connection could be made.

"So again it's not clean, but I think it's at least better," Mantooth said. "And again for your field, it at least shows that you know what you're doing and know that it matters."

In fact, even if a user has set their account to private, Mantooth said it's not unheard of for employers to ask for applicants' login information.

In a recent article on msnbc.com, Justin Bassett of Seattle was asked to provide his interviewer with access to his Facebook account to his bypass privacy settings.

Mantooth said being able to log in to a professional account would be beneifical in this event.

Chappell said a consistent presence on social media is another strategy to implement, adding that it can lead to more followers.

He said it doesn't matter how often someone posts, but the important thing is to stick to a schedule so followers can know when to expect a post.

Content and personality are the last two strategies to implement.

Chappell said in a specialized account, users should follow or consume information specific to the brand while still showing personality.