Social networking online is a great way to stay connected to business contacts and is especially useful to attorneys on the job market. But while many job seekers think of social networking as the greatest thing since email allowed them to electronically send their resume, some people may not agree.  That’s why attorneys looking for work need to be careful to avoid annoying social networking habits that could get them “unfriended” and cost them a lot of opportunity. Let’s take a look at a few annoying social networking habits you should avoid:

1. Insisting that someone give you access to their online social network, especially networks that may have a reputation of being used for personal reasons, when you’re simply an acquaintance. For example, sending a Facebook request to someone you just met at a job fair might appear intrusive. On the other hand sending an invitation to join a professional social network such as Leopard Pride might be more appropriate.
2. Bombarding your connections with requests for job referrals and other things related to your job search might get you put on their spam list.  When networking with others make sure that the connection is beneficial to them as well as yourself. Think about how you can be a resource for the other party and then take the time to help them when needed.
3. Attempting to push your online connections into offline interactions can cause some contacts to keep even more distance from you. While it’s okay to invite a connection for coffee if you have an established relationship with them, you need to read the signals to gauge whether or not such a gesture would be welcome.