Making Money Tips

Dan Klamm is the outreach and marketing coordinator at Syracuse University Career Services. Connect with him on Twitter @DanKlamm.

Finding a job in today’s economy is tough if you’re looking locally, but it can be particularly challenging if you’re seeking work in a far-away, unfamiliar city.

If you’re a long-distance job seeker, you face several disadvantages. First, some companies anticipate that bringing you in for an interview will be a hassle and that you will expect them to pay for travel expenses. Second, they don’t know whether you’re serious about relocating to their city. Third, you’re an unknown entity. When going head-to-head with more familiar candidates, it’s often easier and less risky for employers to select the locals and toss your application aside.

Even if you’re able to secure interviews and gain some traction in your search, the process of landing a position in a new city can involve a significant investment of time, money and resources on your part.

The good news is that social media can help with the process of long-distance job seeking. Whether you’re looking for a job 300 or 3,000 miles from home, here are some tips for using social media in your search.

Stay On Top of Local News/>

When interviewing for positions in a new locale, you don’t want to seem like an outsider. It’s important to get acquainted with local culture and to stay on top of important happenings in the news. Though you probably won’t be grilled on local politics, sports teams or economic development during the interview process, being aware of these things can help with small talk. It also shows that you’re serious about relocating and invested in the process.

You can get started by following local news outlets on Twitterclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter and Facebookclass="blippr-nobr">Facebook, as well as identifying local personalities and thought leaders to keep up with. A job seeker focusing his efforts on Richmond, VA, for instance, might consider following @RVAnews, @RichmondMag and @WireRichmond. The Huffington Post even aggregated lists of regional news outlets on Twitter, making it easy for you to find Twitter accounts in specific locations.

Grow Your Professional Network/>

Most jobs today are found through networking, so you should leverage any and all local connections you may have. Facebook is a great platform for warming up relationships with old friends, family or former colleagues who live in the location where you’d like to be. Beyond that, LinkedInclass="blippr-nobr">LinkedIn can help you identify new contacts — such as people working at your target companies — and get introduced through mutual connections. Here are some tips on the etiquette of reaching out via social media.

Tap into local professional associations on LinkedIn, too. If you’re relocating to Boston to work in marketing, for instance, you have plenty of opportunities to network: The Boston Chapter of the American Marketing Association, the Boston Marketing Group, and the Boston Interactive Media Association, just to name a few. Being part of these groups will keep you in-the-know with local industry happenings and increase the likelihood that you’re invited to networking events.

Don’t overlook alumni connections in your target city. Many schools have satellite locations or active regional clubs with robust offerings in the way of career connections. At Syracuse University, alumni can follow @LubinHouseSU and @BigAppleOrange on Twitter, or join the Big Apple Orange group on LinkedIn to network with SU’s alumni base in the New York City area.

Find Job Postings/>

Increasingly, companies are using LinkedIn and Twitter to publicize job openings. LinkedIn is more useful than a typical job board because it allows you to see who posted each job and to pinpoint how you are connected to individuals at the company.

Edelman, one of the world’s largest independent PR firms, uses LinkedIn to post job opportunities in its 52 worldwide offices. The firm also uses Twitter to engage potential employees. Recently, Edelman even hosted a San Francisco Tweet-up for job seekers savvy enough to be following its @Edelman_Careers account on Twitter.

In addition to specific companies posting jobs, be aware of niche job feeds on Twitter. Looking for jobs in New York City’s fashion industry? Follow @nyfashionjobs. Marketing jobs in Los Angeles? Try @LA_Marketing. Visit twitjobsearch.com to locate Twitter accounts posting jobs relevant to your particular search.

Save Money on Travel/>

In most cases, you’ll need to make at least a couple trips to your desired new location before making a permanent move. If you’re lucky, your prospective employer will offer to cover the costs of travel or give you the opportunity to conduct preliminary interviews via phone or class='blippr-nobr'>Skypeclass="blippr-nobr">Skype. Even with these accommodations, the costs of hunting for a job in a far-away location can add up quickly — especially if you’re looking in pricey markets like New York City or San Francisco.

To learn about opportunities to save, connect with travel providers and hospitality companies through social media. Often, these organizations will provide promotional codes or discounts to their followers. United Airlines has been known to advertise special fares (or “twares”) via their Twitter account. Virgin America has also offered discounted rates via Twitter promotions, such as “Fly Forward, Give Back.” Amtrak, Greyhound and Megabus all use Twitter to share news or special offers, as well.

When you will need to find lodging in your desired new location, it never hurts to be acquainted with local hotels. This past summer, the Bryant Park Hotel gave away a free two-night stay to a lucky Twitter follower. Many hotels are using social media to communicate with prospective guests, announce special rates and articulate their brand values. For a comprehensive view of hotels on Twitter, take a look at this list organized by Resideo.

Show That You Mean Business!/>

When a prospective employer receives your job application from across the country, he/she has no way of knowing how serious you are about moving. Are you applying to the company on a whim? Are you applying to positions all over the country? Would you really be prepared to make a quick move if offered the job? Use social media to show that you’re committed to relocating.

You can start by customizing your LinkedIn profile. In your LinkedIn headline or summary, state your plan to look for jobs in “X field” in “X location” by “X date.” This clarifies your intentions and shows that you mean business. Not all job seekers can be this forthright (especially those who have to keep relocation plans a secret from their current employers), but this is an excellent way to reinforce your seriousness about moving.

Looking for work in a new location can be a daunting task, but with the help of social media, it doesn’t have to be quite so difficult. When you make use of all the resources at your fingertips, you may be surprised how easy it is to make connections, identify opportunities, and ultimately land your dream job in a new location!

More Business Resources from Mashable:

- How the Fortune 500 Use Social Media to Grow Sales and Revenue/> - 5 Ways to Sell Your Expertise Online/> - Why Your Business Should Consider Reverse Mentorship/> - 35 Essential Social Media & Tech Resources for Small Businesses/> - 6 Ways to Score a Job Through Twitter

Image courtesy of iStockphotoclass="blippr-nobr">iStockphoto, thesuperph

For more Business coverage:

class="f-el">class="cov-twit">Follow Mashable Businessclass="s-el">class="cov-rss">Subscribe to the Business channelclass="f-el">class="cov-fb">Become a Fan on Facebookclass="s-el">class="cov-apple">Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

The other day I blogged with a funny Santa photo of my daughter, which I made into our holiday card that year. Even though my little one still has some fears of Santa, the vast majority of kids find him fun and fascinating. As you may have read in Lisa Sikora’s blog post last week, Windows and Southwest Airlines are partnering to bring you Holiday Photos on the Fly. This is a great opportunity to have your photo taken with Santa for free. Once your photo is taken, you’ll get a printed copy and later you can logon to www.freeholidayphotos.com to retrieve and share your photo. Southwest and Windows are offering this great opportunity in 26 airports, as well as kiosks located at Bryant Park in NYC and Skyline Park in Denver. If you can, make sure you take advantage of this great opportunity – who can beat free!

Now that covers fun with Santa, but I personally also strive for that great family photo to share out and I commonly face the familiar crisis I’m sure many parents also go through: It’s December 1st and I need a nice family photo for our holiday cards! Thankfully, this task has been made much easier with a few great inventions.

First, Windows Live Photo Gallery now provides a special touch of magic, enabling you to very quickly fix nearly any photo and create perfection. This includes the tool Photo Fuse, which allows you take several photos of the same group shot and merge them together to create the photo YOU want – you may have seen this in recent “To the Cloud” TV advertising and it seriously is that easy! Essentially, you can now have that perfect group or family photo without every person having to smile at the same time. I told you…just like magic. For any parent, taking that perfect picture can be very daunting. Photo Fuse has saved me time and money, as I now don’t have to pay for a professional photographer to capture everyone in the right pose. Once you have taken your group photos, simply open Photo Gallery, highlight the set of photos you want to fuse together and click Photos Fuse (under the create tab) and presto! For in depth tips and steps on how to do this, see my previous blog post on photo editing in Windows Live, which will show you how to use Retouch, Auto Adjust and Photo Fuse.

Second, there are a plethora of tools available to help you create fun holiday cards, whether you want to send yours electronically or pay for a professional service print and mail cards out for you. Additionally, advancements in photo printers have made it easier than ever to print your own photo cards at home. I like the Epson Artison 725 All In One printer, which is not only very affordable at just under $200, but also gives you hi-definition prints and is the world’s fastest 4” x 6” photo printer. Since I’m usually in a rush to get my cards and invitations out the door, I like to use online software to create my own masterpiece and then print them up myself at home, which guarantees I’ll get my cards out to friends and family before the New Year.

For more information on the Epson Artison 725 printer, my colleague Brandon will be doing a review of it on the Windows Experience Blog in the coming weeks.

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Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba

From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.

This Week in Credit Card <b>News</b> - MoneyBuilder - making sense of <b>...</b>

Provided by LowCards.com More Than Eight Million People Drop Out of Credit Card Use More than eight million consumers stopped using credit cards over the past year, according to a new study by TransUnion. The use of general purpose ...

Google&#39;s New Smartphone is Not the Big <b>News</b> (GOOG, BBY, AAPL, RIMM <b>...</b>

It's probably an overstatement to say that we have now gotten our first look at the long-awaited Nexus S smartphone from Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG). The new phone, introduced a mobile device conference in San Francisco, uses version 2.3 ...

photos of advertising enlargement

Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba

From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.

This Week in Credit Card <b>News</b> - MoneyBuilder - making sense of <b>...</b>

Provided by LowCards.com More Than Eight Million People Drop Out of Credit Card Use More than eight million consumers stopped using credit cards over the past year, according to a new study by TransUnion. The use of general purpose ...

Google&#39;s New Smartphone is Not the Big <b>News</b> (GOOG, BBY, AAPL, RIMM <b>...</b>

It's probably an overstatement to say that we have now gotten our first look at the long-awaited Nexus S smartphone from Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG). The new phone, introduced a mobile device conference in San Francisco, uses version 2.3 ...

www.ddfghhdfxd.com/

Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba

From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.

This Week in Credit Card <b>News</b> - MoneyBuilder - making sense of <b>...</b>

Provided by LowCards.com More Than Eight Million People Drop Out of Credit Card Use More than eight million consumers stopped using credit cards over the past year, according to a new study by TransUnion. The use of general purpose ...

Google&#39;s New Smartphone is Not the Big <b>News</b> (GOOG, BBY, AAPL, RIMM <b>...</b>

It's probably an overstatement to say that we have now gotten our first look at the long-awaited Nexus S smartphone from Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG). The new phone, introduced a mobile device conference in San Francisco, uses version 2.3 ...

ddfghhdfxd

Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba

From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.

This Week in Credit Card <b>News</b> - MoneyBuilder - making sense of <b>...</b>

Provided by LowCards.com More Than Eight Million People Drop Out of Credit Card Use More than eight million consumers stopped using credit cards over the past year, according to a new study by TransUnion. The use of general purpose ...

Google&#39;s New Smartphone is Not the Big <b>News</b> (GOOG, BBY, AAPL, RIMM <b>...</b>

It's probably an overstatement to say that we have now gotten our first look at the long-awaited Nexus S smartphone from Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG). The new phone, introduced a mobile device conference in San Francisco, uses version 2.3 ...

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Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba

From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.

This Week in Credit Card <b>News</b> - MoneyBuilder - making sense of <b>...</b>

Provided by LowCards.com More Than Eight Million People Drop Out of Credit Card Use More than eight million consumers stopped using credit cards over the past year, according to a new study by TransUnion. The use of general purpose ...

Google&#39;s New Smartphone is Not the Big <b>News</b> (GOOG, BBY, AAPL, RIMM <b>...</b>

It's probably an overstatement to say that we have now gotten our first look at the long-awaited Nexus S smartphone from Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG). The new phone, introduced a mobile device conference in San Francisco, uses version 2.3 ...

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Dan Klamm is the outreach and marketing coordinator at Syracuse University Career Services. Connect with him on Twitter @DanKlamm.

Finding a job in today’s economy is tough if you’re looking locally, but it can be particularly challenging if you’re seeking work in a far-away, unfamiliar city.

If you’re a long-distance job seeker, you face several disadvantages. First, some companies anticipate that bringing you in for an interview will be a hassle and that you will expect them to pay for travel expenses. Second, they don’t know whether you’re serious about relocating to their city. Third, you’re an unknown entity. When going head-to-head with more familiar candidates, it’s often easier and less risky for employers to select the locals and toss your application aside.

Even if you’re able to secure interviews and gain some traction in your search, the process of landing a position in a new city can involve a significant investment of time, money and resources on your part.

The good news is that social media can help with the process of long-distance job seeking. Whether you’re looking for a job 300 or 3,000 miles from home, here are some tips for using social media in your search.

Stay On Top of Local News/>

When interviewing for positions in a new locale, you don’t want to seem like an outsider. It’s important to get acquainted with local culture and to stay on top of important happenings in the news. Though you probably won’t be grilled on local politics, sports teams or economic development during the interview process, being aware of these things can help with small talk. It also shows that you’re serious about relocating and invested in the process.

You can get started by following local news outlets on Twitterclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter and Facebookclass="blippr-nobr">Facebook, as well as identifying local personalities and thought leaders to keep up with. A job seeker focusing his efforts on Richmond, VA, for instance, might consider following @RVAnews, @RichmondMag and @WireRichmond. The Huffington Post even aggregated lists of regional news outlets on Twitter, making it easy for you to find Twitter accounts in specific locations.

Grow Your Professional Network/>

Most jobs today are found through networking, so you should leverage any and all local connections you may have. Facebook is a great platform for warming up relationships with old friends, family or former colleagues who live in the location where you’d like to be. Beyond that, LinkedInclass="blippr-nobr">LinkedIn can help you identify new contacts — such as people working at your target companies — and get introduced through mutual connections. Here are some tips on the etiquette of reaching out via social media.

Tap into local professional associations on LinkedIn, too. If you’re relocating to Boston to work in marketing, for instance, you have plenty of opportunities to network: The Boston Chapter of the American Marketing Association, the Boston Marketing Group, and the Boston Interactive Media Association, just to name a few. Being part of these groups will keep you in-the-know with local industry happenings and increase the likelihood that you’re invited to networking events.

Don’t overlook alumni connections in your target city. Many schools have satellite locations or active regional clubs with robust offerings in the way of career connections. At Syracuse University, alumni can follow @LubinHouseSU and @BigAppleOrange on Twitter, or join the Big Apple Orange group on LinkedIn to network with SU’s alumni base in the New York City area.

Find Job Postings/>

Increasingly, companies are using LinkedIn and Twitter to publicize job openings. LinkedIn is more useful than a typical job board because it allows you to see who posted each job and to pinpoint how you are connected to individuals at the company.

Edelman, one of the world’s largest independent PR firms, uses LinkedIn to post job opportunities in its 52 worldwide offices. The firm also uses Twitter to engage potential employees. Recently, Edelman even hosted a San Francisco Tweet-up for job seekers savvy enough to be following its @Edelman_Careers account on Twitter.

In addition to specific companies posting jobs, be aware of niche job feeds on Twitter. Looking for jobs in New York City’s fashion industry? Follow @nyfashionjobs. Marketing jobs in Los Angeles? Try @LA_Marketing. Visit twitjobsearch.com to locate Twitter accounts posting jobs relevant to your particular search.

Save Money on Travel/>

In most cases, you’ll need to make at least a couple trips to your desired new location before making a permanent move. If you’re lucky, your prospective employer will offer to cover the costs of travel or give you the opportunity to conduct preliminary interviews via phone or class='blippr-nobr'>Skypeclass="blippr-nobr">Skype. Even with these accommodations, the costs of hunting for a job in a far-away location can add up quickly — especially if you’re looking in pricey markets like New York City or San Francisco.

To learn about opportunities to save, connect with travel providers and hospitality companies through social media. Often, these organizations will provide promotional codes or discounts to their followers. United Airlines has been known to advertise special fares (or “twares”) via their Twitter account. Virgin America has also offered discounted rates via Twitter promotions, such as “Fly Forward, Give Back.” Amtrak, Greyhound and Megabus all use Twitter to share news or special offers, as well.

When you will need to find lodging in your desired new location, it never hurts to be acquainted with local hotels. This past summer, the Bryant Park Hotel gave away a free two-night stay to a lucky Twitter follower. Many hotels are using social media to communicate with prospective guests, announce special rates and articulate their brand values. For a comprehensive view of hotels on Twitter, take a look at this list organized by Resideo.

Show That You Mean Business!/>

When a prospective employer receives your job application from across the country, he/she has no way of knowing how serious you are about moving. Are you applying to the company on a whim? Are you applying to positions all over the country? Would you really be prepared to make a quick move if offered the job? Use social media to show that you’re committed to relocating.

You can start by customizing your LinkedIn profile. In your LinkedIn headline or summary, state your plan to look for jobs in “X field” in “X location” by “X date.” This clarifies your intentions and shows that you mean business. Not all job seekers can be this forthright (especially those who have to keep relocation plans a secret from their current employers), but this is an excellent way to reinforce your seriousness about moving.

Looking for work in a new location can be a daunting task, but with the help of social media, it doesn’t have to be quite so difficult. When you make use of all the resources at your fingertips, you may be surprised how easy it is to make connections, identify opportunities, and ultimately land your dream job in a new location!

More Business Resources from Mashable:

- How the Fortune 500 Use Social Media to Grow Sales and Revenue/> - 5 Ways to Sell Your Expertise Online/> - Why Your Business Should Consider Reverse Mentorship/> - 35 Essential Social Media & Tech Resources for Small Businesses/> - 6 Ways to Score a Job Through Twitter

Image courtesy of iStockphotoclass="blippr-nobr">iStockphoto, thesuperph

For more Business coverage:

class="f-el">class="cov-twit">Follow Mashable Businessclass="s-el">class="cov-rss">Subscribe to the Business channelclass="f-el">class="cov-fb">Become a Fan on Facebookclass="s-el">class="cov-apple">Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

The other day I blogged with a funny Santa photo of my daughter, which I made into our holiday card that year. Even though my little one still has some fears of Santa, the vast majority of kids find him fun and fascinating. As you may have read in Lisa Sikora’s blog post last week, Windows and Southwest Airlines are partnering to bring you Holiday Photos on the Fly. This is a great opportunity to have your photo taken with Santa for free. Once your photo is taken, you’ll get a printed copy and later you can logon to www.freeholidayphotos.com to retrieve and share your photo. Southwest and Windows are offering this great opportunity in 26 airports, as well as kiosks located at Bryant Park in NYC and Skyline Park in Denver. If you can, make sure you take advantage of this great opportunity – who can beat free!

Now that covers fun with Santa, but I personally also strive for that great family photo to share out and I commonly face the familiar crisis I’m sure many parents also go through: It’s December 1st and I need a nice family photo for our holiday cards! Thankfully, this task has been made much easier with a few great inventions.

First, Windows Live Photo Gallery now provides a special touch of magic, enabling you to very quickly fix nearly any photo and create perfection. This includes the tool Photo Fuse, which allows you take several photos of the same group shot and merge them together to create the photo YOU want – you may have seen this in recent “To the Cloud” TV advertising and it seriously is that easy! Essentially, you can now have that perfect group or family photo without every person having to smile at the same time. I told you…just like magic. For any parent, taking that perfect picture can be very daunting. Photo Fuse has saved me time and money, as I now don’t have to pay for a professional photographer to capture everyone in the right pose. Once you have taken your group photos, simply open Photo Gallery, highlight the set of photos you want to fuse together and click Photos Fuse (under the create tab) and presto! For in depth tips and steps on how to do this, see my previous blog post on photo editing in Windows Live, which will show you how to use Retouch, Auto Adjust and Photo Fuse.

Second, there are a plethora of tools available to help you create fun holiday cards, whether you want to send yours electronically or pay for a professional service print and mail cards out for you. Additionally, advancements in photo printers have made it easier than ever to print your own photo cards at home. I like the Epson Artison 725 All In One printer, which is not only very affordable at just under $200, but also gives you hi-definition prints and is the world’s fastest 4” x 6” photo printer. Since I’m usually in a rush to get my cards and invitations out the door, I like to use online software to create my own masterpiece and then print them up myself at home, which guarantees I’ll get my cards out to friends and family before the New Year.

For more information on the Epson Artison 725 printer, my colleague Brandon will be doing a review of it on the Windows Experience Blog in the coming weeks.

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Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba

From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.

This Week in Credit Card <b>News</b> - MoneyBuilder - making sense of <b>...</b>

Provided by LowCards.com More Than Eight Million People Drop Out of Credit Card Use More than eight million consumers stopped using credit cards over the past year, according to a new study by TransUnion. The use of general purpose ...

Google&#39;s New Smartphone is Not the Big <b>News</b> (GOOG, BBY, AAPL, RIMM <b>...</b>

It's probably an overstatement to say that we have now gotten our first look at the long-awaited Nexus S smartphone from Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG). The new phone, introduced a mobile device conference in San Francisco, uses version 2.3 ...

bench craft company rip off photo

Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba

From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.

This Week in Credit Card <b>News</b> - MoneyBuilder - making sense of <b>...</b>

Provided by LowCards.com More Than Eight Million People Drop Out of Credit Card Use More than eight million consumers stopped using credit cards over the past year, according to a new study by TransUnion. The use of general purpose ...

Google&#39;s New Smartphone is Not the Big <b>News</b> (GOOG, BBY, AAPL, RIMM <b>...</b>

It's probably an overstatement to say that we have now gotten our first look at the long-awaited Nexus S smartphone from Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG). The new phone, introduced a mobile device conference in San Francisco, uses version 2.3 ...

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Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba

From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.

This Week in Credit Card <b>News</b> - MoneyBuilder - making sense of <b>...</b>

Provided by LowCards.com More Than Eight Million People Drop Out of Credit Card Use More than eight million consumers stopped using credit cards over the past year, according to a new study by TransUnion. The use of general purpose ...

Google&#39;s New Smartphone is Not the Big <b>News</b> (GOOG, BBY, AAPL, RIMM <b>...</b>

It's probably an overstatement to say that we have now gotten our first look at the long-awaited Nexus S smartphone from Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG). The new phone, introduced a mobile device conference in San Francisco, uses version 2.3 ...

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Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba

From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.

This Week in Credit Card <b>News</b> - MoneyBuilder - making sense of <b>...</b>

Provided by LowCards.com More Than Eight Million People Drop Out of Credit Card Use More than eight million consumers stopped using credit cards over the past year, according to a new study by TransUnion. The use of general purpose ...

Google&#39;s New Smartphone is Not the Big <b>News</b> (GOOG, BBY, AAPL, RIMM <b>...</b>

It's probably an overstatement to say that we have now gotten our first look at the long-awaited Nexus S smartphone from Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG). The new phone, introduced a mobile device conference in San Francisco, uses version 2.3 ...

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Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba

From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.

This Week in Credit Card <b>News</b> - MoneyBuilder - making sense of <b>...</b>

Provided by LowCards.com More Than Eight Million People Drop Out of Credit Card Use More than eight million consumers stopped using credit cards over the past year, according to a new study by TransUnion. The use of general purpose ...

Google&#39;s New Smartphone is Not the Big <b>News</b> (GOOG, BBY, AAPL, RIMM <b>...</b>

It's probably an overstatement to say that we have now gotten our first look at the long-awaited Nexus S smartphone from Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG). The new phone, introduced a mobile device conference in San Francisco, uses version 2.3 ...

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Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba

From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.

This Week in Credit Card <b>News</b> - MoneyBuilder - making sense of <b>...</b>

Provided by LowCards.com More Than Eight Million People Drop Out of Credit Card Use More than eight million consumers stopped using credit cards over the past year, according to a new study by TransUnion. The use of general purpose ...

Google&#39;s New Smartphone is Not the Big <b>News</b> (GOOG, BBY, AAPL, RIMM <b>...</b>

It's probably an overstatement to say that we have now gotten our first look at the long-awaited Nexus S smartphone from Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG). The new phone, introduced a mobile device conference in San Francisco, uses version 2.3 ...

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Dan Klamm is the outreach and marketing coordinator at Syracuse University Career Services. Connect with him on Twitter @DanKlamm.

Finding a job in today’s economy is tough if you’re looking locally, but it can be particularly challenging if you’re seeking work in a far-away, unfamiliar city.

If you’re a long-distance job seeker, you face several disadvantages. First, some companies anticipate that bringing you in for an interview will be a hassle and that you will expect them to pay for travel expenses. Second, they don’t know whether you’re serious about relocating to their city. Third, you’re an unknown entity. When going head-to-head with more familiar candidates, it’s often easier and less risky for employers to select the locals and toss your application aside.

Even if you’re able to secure interviews and gain some traction in your search, the process of landing a position in a new city can involve a significant investment of time, money and resources on your part.

The good news is that social media can help with the process of long-distance job seeking. Whether you’re looking for a job 300 or 3,000 miles from home, here are some tips for using social media in your search.

Stay On Top of Local News/>

When interviewing for positions in a new locale, you don’t want to seem like an outsider. It’s important to get acquainted with local culture and to stay on top of important happenings in the news. Though you probably won’t be grilled on local politics, sports teams or economic development during the interview process, being aware of these things can help with small talk. It also shows that you’re serious about relocating and invested in the process.

You can get started by following local news outlets on Twitterclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter and Facebookclass="blippr-nobr">Facebook, as well as identifying local personalities and thought leaders to keep up with. A job seeker focusing his efforts on Richmond, VA, for instance, might consider following @RVAnews, @RichmondMag and @WireRichmond. The Huffington Post even aggregated lists of regional news outlets on Twitter, making it easy for you to find Twitter accounts in specific locations.

Grow Your Professional Network/>

Most jobs today are found through networking, so you should leverage any and all local connections you may have. Facebook is a great platform for warming up relationships with old friends, family or former colleagues who live in the location where you’d like to be. Beyond that, LinkedInclass="blippr-nobr">LinkedIn can help you identify new contacts — such as people working at your target companies — and get introduced through mutual connections. Here are some tips on the etiquette of reaching out via social media.

Tap into local professional associations on LinkedIn, too. If you’re relocating to Boston to work in marketing, for instance, you have plenty of opportunities to network: The Boston Chapter of the American Marketing Association, the Boston Marketing Group, and the Boston Interactive Media Association, just to name a few. Being part of these groups will keep you in-the-know with local industry happenings and increase the likelihood that you’re invited to networking events.

Don’t overlook alumni connections in your target city. Many schools have satellite locations or active regional clubs with robust offerings in the way of career connections. At Syracuse University, alumni can follow @LubinHouseSU and @BigAppleOrange on Twitter, or join the Big Apple Orange group on LinkedIn to network with SU’s alumni base in the New York City area.

Find Job Postings/>

Increasingly, companies are using LinkedIn and Twitter to publicize job openings. LinkedIn is more useful than a typical job board because it allows you to see who posted each job and to pinpoint how you are connected to individuals at the company.

Edelman, one of the world’s largest independent PR firms, uses LinkedIn to post job opportunities in its 52 worldwide offices. The firm also uses Twitter to engage potential employees. Recently, Edelman even hosted a San Francisco Tweet-up for job seekers savvy enough to be following its @Edelman_Careers account on Twitter.

In addition to specific companies posting jobs, be aware of niche job feeds on Twitter. Looking for jobs in New York City’s fashion industry? Follow @nyfashionjobs. Marketing jobs in Los Angeles? Try @LA_Marketing. Visit twitjobsearch.com to locate Twitter accounts posting jobs relevant to your particular search.

Save Money on Travel/>

In most cases, you’ll need to make at least a couple trips to your desired new location before making a permanent move. If you’re lucky, your prospective employer will offer to cover the costs of travel or give you the opportunity to conduct preliminary interviews via phone or class='blippr-nobr'>Skypeclass="blippr-nobr">Skype. Even with these accommodations, the costs of hunting for a job in a far-away location can add up quickly — especially if you’re looking in pricey markets like New York City or San Francisco.

To learn about opportunities to save, connect with travel providers and hospitality companies through social media. Often, these organizations will provide promotional codes or discounts to their followers. United Airlines has been known to advertise special fares (or “twares”) via their Twitter account. Virgin America has also offered discounted rates via Twitter promotions, such as “Fly Forward, Give Back.” Amtrak, Greyhound and Megabus all use Twitter to share news or special offers, as well.

When you will need to find lodging in your desired new location, it never hurts to be acquainted with local hotels. This past summer, the Bryant Park Hotel gave away a free two-night stay to a lucky Twitter follower. Many hotels are using social media to communicate with prospective guests, announce special rates and articulate their brand values. For a comprehensive view of hotels on Twitter, take a look at this list organized by Resideo.

Show That You Mean Business!/>

When a prospective employer receives your job application from across the country, he/she has no way of knowing how serious you are about moving. Are you applying to the company on a whim? Are you applying to positions all over the country? Would you really be prepared to make a quick move if offered the job? Use social media to show that you’re committed to relocating.

You can start by customizing your LinkedIn profile. In your LinkedIn headline or summary, state your plan to look for jobs in “X field” in “X location” by “X date.” This clarifies your intentions and shows that you mean business. Not all job seekers can be this forthright (especially those who have to keep relocation plans a secret from their current employers), but this is an excellent way to reinforce your seriousness about moving.

Looking for work in a new location can be a daunting task, but with the help of social media, it doesn’t have to be quite so difficult. When you make use of all the resources at your fingertips, you may be surprised how easy it is to make connections, identify opportunities, and ultimately land your dream job in a new location!

More Business Resources from Mashable:

- How the Fortune 500 Use Social Media to Grow Sales and Revenue/> - 5 Ways to Sell Your Expertise Online/> - Why Your Business Should Consider Reverse Mentorship/> - 35 Essential Social Media & Tech Resources for Small Businesses/> - 6 Ways to Score a Job Through Twitter

Image courtesy of iStockphotoclass="blippr-nobr">iStockphoto, thesuperph

For more Business coverage:

class="f-el">class="cov-twit">Follow Mashable Businessclass="s-el">class="cov-rss">Subscribe to the Business channelclass="f-el">class="cov-fb">Become a Fan on Facebookclass="s-el">class="cov-apple">Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

The other day I blogged with a funny Santa photo of my daughter, which I made into our holiday card that year. Even though my little one still has some fears of Santa, the vast majority of kids find him fun and fascinating. As you may have read in Lisa Sikora’s blog post last week, Windows and Southwest Airlines are partnering to bring you Holiday Photos on the Fly. This is a great opportunity to have your photo taken with Santa for free. Once your photo is taken, you’ll get a printed copy and later you can logon to www.freeholidayphotos.com to retrieve and share your photo. Southwest and Windows are offering this great opportunity in 26 airports, as well as kiosks located at Bryant Park in NYC and Skyline Park in Denver. If you can, make sure you take advantage of this great opportunity – who can beat free!

Now that covers fun with Santa, but I personally also strive for that great family photo to share out and I commonly face the familiar crisis I’m sure many parents also go through: It’s December 1st and I need a nice family photo for our holiday cards! Thankfully, this task has been made much easier with a few great inventions.

First, Windows Live Photo Gallery now provides a special touch of magic, enabling you to very quickly fix nearly any photo and create perfection. This includes the tool Photo Fuse, which allows you take several photos of the same group shot and merge them together to create the photo YOU want – you may have seen this in recent “To the Cloud” TV advertising and it seriously is that easy! Essentially, you can now have that perfect group or family photo without every person having to smile at the same time. I told you…just like magic. For any parent, taking that perfect picture can be very daunting. Photo Fuse has saved me time and money, as I now don’t have to pay for a professional photographer to capture everyone in the right pose. Once you have taken your group photos, simply open Photo Gallery, highlight the set of photos you want to fuse together and click Photos Fuse (under the create tab) and presto! For in depth tips and steps on how to do this, see my previous blog post on photo editing in Windows Live, which will show you how to use Retouch, Auto Adjust and Photo Fuse.

Second, there are a plethora of tools available to help you create fun holiday cards, whether you want to send yours electronically or pay for a professional service print and mail cards out for you. Additionally, advancements in photo printers have made it easier than ever to print your own photo cards at home. I like the Epson Artison 725 All In One printer, which is not only very affordable at just under $200, but also gives you hi-definition prints and is the world’s fastest 4” x 6” photo printer. Since I’m usually in a rush to get my cards and invitations out the door, I like to use online software to create my own masterpiece and then print them up myself at home, which guarantees I’ll get my cards out to friends and family before the New Year.

For more information on the Epson Artison 725 printer, my colleague Brandon will be doing a review of it on the Windows Experience Blog in the coming weeks.

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