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Well it seems that if you are poor and black, your cousin CiCi and uncle Tookie might not be doing you any favors in helping you with your professional aspirations.

That’s according to Nancy Ditomaso, who writes for the New York Times that black unemployment, which is holding steady at over 13 percent, may have more to do with favoritism than actual racial discrimination. She writes:

“Favoritism is almost universal in today’s job market. In interviews with hundreds of people on this topic, I found that all but a handful used the help of family and friends to find 70 percent of the jobs they held over their lifetimes; they all used personal networks and insider information if it was available to them.

In this context of widespread networking, the idea that there is a job “market” based solely on skills, qualifications and merit is false. Whenever possible, Americans seeking jobs try to avoid market competition: they look for unequal rather than equal opportunity. In fact, the last thing job seekers want to face is equal opportunity; they want an advantage. They want to find ways to cut in line and get ahead.”

Ditomaso, then goes on to say that:

“The interviewees in my study who were most angry about affirmative action were those who had relatively fewer marketable skills — and were therefore most dependent on getting an inside edge for the best jobs. Whites who felt entitled to these positions believed that affirmative action was unfair because it blocked their own privileged access.”

And this is exactly why affirmative action is still necessary.

This is also the reason why networking is also important too. As Ditomaso points out in the piece when you are poor and black, you tend to only network with other poor and black folks, which means that the odds that your network would be able to connect you to the right opportunities, particularly ones that will enable you not to be poor anymore, are relatively slim. To Ditomaso’s point, connections are how most folks nowadays get jobs. That’s because the vast majority of job openings are not advertised – or at least not the good ones. And the only way to tap into the underground job market is if you, for the lack of a better term, have a hook-up.

For instance, the last job I held came about from responding to an advert for another position within the same company. When the interviewer called me, it was actually someone, who I had previously collaborated in a professional manner. Not only did she know me but was already familiar with my work and instead of the one position, which didn’t fit my qualifications exactly, she hipped me to another, more appropriate position, which hadn’t even been posted yet. Thinking back throughout my life, there are no shortage of opportunities, which I received from the assistance of my social network.

Even if you are not into those prefabricated and stuffy wine and cheese networking events, which I am certainly not into, folks should still be out there, meeting people. The last few opportunities I have received usually came by way of meeting people at events outside of the whole professional-building capacity. Like at art gallery exhibition openings; or book and panel discussions; or through volunteer opportunities. The point is that even if you were not born into more affluent social networks, you can obtain them by adopting a lifestyle in which you are open to new and diverse experiences. And I’m not talking interracial but also intra-racial as well.

I can say from personal experience that networking in circles outside of the ones in which I was raised has helped me tremendously when I was first started out in my professional career. It was my secondary network, which I begun to develop at Virginia Union University (an HBCU), which hipped me to the professional career fairs and opportunities. And it was the secondary network of black professionals, many alum and other VUU-connected folks, who just wanted to help me, which lead to my first official job interview post-graduation. Without the network outside of my family and friends, I doubt highly that those professional doors would have been open to me. Although I love my family to death, they just don’t have that sort of social capital.

With that said, it was my great-grandmother, who never finished high school, that gave me money towards outfits to wear for my job interviews. And it was my grandmother, a woman who worked in a candy factor for most of her career, that lent me her old beat-up Ford Focus to get myself around to these interviews. And it was my homie, a maintenance employee at one of the major hotel chains, who got me the friends and family “discount” on a room for those interviews that were far away from home. Even without having the appropriate connections to get me in the door, my network of family and friends were going to use whatever resources they had to ensure that I was well equipped when I walked through that door.

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Springtime is here and with it comes flowers, sunshine… and technology? While you might not automatically associate technology with the outdoors, there are several ways that tech innovations, gadgets, and websites can help us make the most of spring. Read on for 10 ways you can enhance this season with tech!

Source: Hudsonequipment.ca

It’s 2:00 in the afternoon and since I woke up this morning I’ve managed to text two people, e-mail six, read over thirty tweets and Facebook statuses, visit four blogs but actually interact with not a single living, breathing being but my Pitbull Boxer mix.

If you’re like me your iPhone may as well be an extension of one of your limbs. (Well actually I’m still Team Blackberry, but you get my drift.) There’s very little many of us do without consulting our cell phone first.  They keep us company and from looking like a complete social outcast when we are in an unfamiliar situation; you can only be so awkward when you are too busy being updated by @Uberfacts, right? (I don’t know about you but I feel a little bit cooler since learning that you are more likely to be killed by a vending machine than you are to hit the Mega Millions jackpot.)  Because of cell phones instead of actually doing paperwork at my job, I can first text my bestie and repeatedly tell her how much I am not looking forward to all of the paperwork I have to do.  And let’s not forget the greatest gift that Apple technology has offered mankind: I can share every thought that goes through my head with millions of strangers as well as post pictures of the incredibly “savory” meal I am about to eat while thinking it, only to realize the next day what I thought sounded so profound was actually kind of dumb and I actually meant nauseating when I take a look at the savory meal I posted.

I’m being sarcastic obviously, but the truth is technology has “conveniently” given us more time and opportunities to ruin perfectly good relationships, as if we weren’t doing a great enough job before the world was blessed with Apple products.  We’re far past butt dials and accidentally texting the person you’re talking smack about.  People are single handedly ruining their relationships (and careers) thanks to screen grabs, sub-tweeting and “leaked” pics.  I confess there are times when I can’t imagine what I did before the people closest to me were a mere ten digits away at any given time.  What did people do when they caught flat tires in the middle of the interstate late at night before cell phone towers?  And beyond safety, I appreciate that social networking sites give me the perfect amount of connection I want to have to people in high school that weren’t in my circle, but I still care enough about to congratulate them on their first born.  But I’d be lying if I didn’t say social in-the-flesh interaction hasn’t taken a severe hit from the digital world.  At their worst, cell phones have made the otherwise shy into complete hermits who confuse stalking with flirting.

If any of the following apply to you, your cell phone could be ruining your relationship, one text at a time:

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaking at today’s press event. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Today, Facebook hosted a press event announcing Graph Search, an internal feature that will help Facebook users find out more detailed information about their friends.

Graph Search is different than more traditional web search because it is designed to answer a question, said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg during the announcement, not just links to answers. Users can search for people, photos, places, and interests to determine things such as “my college friends living in San Francisco” or “nearby friends who like Game of Thrones” for a viewing party, for example. Results are also ranked by relevance to the user, with close friends showing up as top results.

The search function will allow users to more easily dig through all the friends, data, and content that has been shared with them via Facebook, and it will be privacy aware, only permitting searchers to see what their friends have posted or what is made public by other users.

“When Facebook first launched, the main way most people used the site was to browse around, learn about people and make new connections,” the company said in a press release about the feature. “Graph Search takes us back to our roots and allows people to use the graph to make new connections.”

During the announcement, Zuckerberg, Tom Stocky and Lars Rasmussen, who developed the feature, demonstrated how to use Graph Search for dating, recruiting, and commercial uses, with restaurants as an example. Because Graph Search can bring to light photos of users that had previously been hidden from a user’s Timeline, Facebook is also offering tools and resources to help users understand the privacy implications.

A search function was one of the rumors floating around after Facebook announced its event last week. The media predicts Facebook will work to compete with Google in helping individuals find information and answer questions.

This is the latest news to come out of the social networking site and yet one more thing to keep track of in the constantly-changing social media landscape. Here is a handy guide, keeping you up-to-date with your favorite (and soon-to-be-favorite?) social media sites.

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Nielsen released its US Consumer Usage Report 2012 and found that watching television is, by far, the most popular way consumers spend time with media.

On average, consumers spend six days and 54 minutes watching traditional TV (or 144 hours and 54 minutes) each month. Internet time on a computer is the next most popular media consumption activity, with the average consumer spending 28 hours and 29 minutes on the internet monthly.

According to Nielsen, 289 million people own at least one television set, while 212 million internet users are active online. Online, social networking is the top activity, with 20.1 percent of time online spent on social networks and blogs. On mobile phones, 14.1 percent of time is spent texting, 10.2 percent of time is spent on social networks, and 5.5 percent is spent actually using it as a phone.

While this data is interesting on its own, it all converges around social TV. Social TV, which has been defined as the intersection of television content and social networks, is generally used to describe the act of consumers using their computers, mobile phones, or tablets to discuss TV shows with friends on social networks, apps, and via texting. This can happen in real-time, which discourages time-shifted viewing, or at a later date.

Lost Remote, a blog exclusively about social TV, recently wrote nine predictions for social TV in 2013, including that cross-platform storytelling with mature, Netflix will make its services more social (which is already happening with a recent change in the law), and mobile will continue to grow in its use and influence on social TV.

As Nielsen reported, television viewing isn’t going anywhere, and while social media and mobile usage is on the rise, these types of media will all come together in social TV.

Do you chat about TV shows online while you are watching them? Do you see social TV as a big trend for 2013?

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We’ve spent a lot of time on the don’ts. Now Black Enterprise is focusing on the dos.

The website outlines some of the things that prospective employers would like to see on your social media networks.

“Social media plays a major role in many careers and when employers view a future employee’s profile, they want to see that they know how to use the site,” Courtney Connley writes. So be sure to stay active on Twitter, keep your Facebook page fresh, and update your LinkedIn and Pinterest pages during the course of your job search.

Make no mistake. Employers are paying attention to your personal social media pages. For more on what you should be doing, visit BlackEnterprise.com.

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Social networks aren’t just for socializing. Increasingly, there is a mandate for using one’s social network for professional advancement. Unfortunately, African Americans are reluctant to do that. Or their social networks lack the power to help the unemployed find a job.

According to the National Journal, these weak networks create “concentrated disadvantages.” There are some who simply don’t use their networks to their advantage. And others who try, but face hurdles.

“One is just numbers: Few blacks are in top positions empowered to make hiring decisions, notes Algernon Austin, director of the race, ethnicity, and the economy program at the Economic Policy Institute,” the article says.

Add to that the racism and stereotypes that exist and you have a situation where the high black unemployment rate (about double that of whites) could stick around until 2015, a half-century trend for the black population.

“[E. Faye] Williams reminds members of the National Congress of Black Women to broaden their networks and to not discount anyone, even those in entry-level positions, when developing professional networks,” the article says.

Just recently, we offered these tips for getting the most out of your LinkedIn account. National Journal also suggests a proactive approach to the job search; having resumes at the ready and submitting them, even if there explicitly isn’t a job opening available.

We’d also suggest that you make the most of industry groups. Many professions have an organization that hosts networking events, mixers, and classes that offer the opportunity to meet people and get your name out there. Oftentimes, there are even more than one that you can join — one for the profession as a whole and others for ethnic groups within the profession. Even if it costs a little bit, the annual fee is worth it. And be sure that you’re using your face time to push your professional credentials. Making friends is fine, but the reason you (and everyone else) is there is for career advancement. In this case, it’s totally acceptable to be all business.

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Professional social network LinkedIn beat analysts’ expectations in its third quarter earnings call yesterday, with revenue up 81% over Q3 2011 to $252 million.

Talent Solutions, or its hiring solutions business, made up 55% of revenue with $138.4 million, and increased 95% over the third quarter of 2011. Marketing Solutions, or advertising on the site, represented 25% of revenue at $64 million. The Premium Subscriptions business for users was 20% of overall revenue, at $49.6 million.

The company reported that full year earnings should be between $202 million and $204 million, sending the share price of the company up in after-hours trading.

But while LinkedIn has proven successful and pleased Wall Street, it is still vulnerable in the same ways as other public social networking companies like Facebook. Executives on the earnings call were pressed about LinkedIn’s prospects on mobile. The company has introduced several new elements and tools, such as the updated profile pages, ability to follow famous executives and business people, and the Sales Navigator for connecting salespeople to clients. But many see mobile as a place of growth for the future—and one that LinkedIn needs to figure out.

AdWeek looks a little deeper at the mobile monetization question for LinkedIn. CEO Jeff Weiner said, “An increasing area of focus for us is the monetization of our mobile channel,” and highlighted that fact that LinkedIn job listings are now displayed its mobile apps and that the company has been testing display ads in its iPad app.

On the user side, Weiner also announced that LinkedIn now has 187 million members and adds two new members every second.

Are you on LinkedIn? How valuable is it for your career? Will this social site be around for the long haul?

Justin Timberlake talks Myspace at a Panasonic press conference in December 2011. Image: AP Photo/Panasonic, Gary He

Yesterday, we tweeted a preview of the new Myspace, brought to us by investor/musician/actor/former boy band member Justin Timberlake. Today, Black Enterprise takes a look at the way that the revamped social network will change things for music marketing.

The sneak peek was really just that — a glimpse of what’s in store at the new Myspace, which will have a focus on music and other forms of entertainment. According to the Black Enterprise story, there are a few areas where we can already see the impact the new service will have on the music industry.

“MySpace’s easy-to-use music player became a hit with fans and artists alike. Not only can you create a playlist of your own music in this latest version, but you can access over 42 million songs in the MySpace library, opening up infinite possibilities to express your musical style,” the article says.

To learn about the other ways that Myspace promises to change music, visit BlackEnterprise.com.

Spending eight hours a day at work comes with certain compromises: putting other obligations on the shelf, leaving personal issues at home for the day and keeping your focus on the task at hand. For some of us, eight hours of shelving our lives could be problematic, especially when you are keeping up with the kids in case of emergencies, keeping current with the antics of your friends on Facebook and Twitter (or that of your favorite black women’s website *winks*) and looking for your next job opportunity.

As a businesswoman, it’s difficult when our lives and our daily concerns have to take a backseat, but it is necessary at times to get the job done. Keep in mind that these few things should not occupy your time and energy while at work. They could ultimately do more harm to your career than good: