Until recently, college students have been warned to be cautious about the role of social media when it comes to the job search. Now, the National Association of Colleges and Employers says social media sites can be used in the favor of job seekers and as a way to help graduating students potentially land their next jobs.

University of Florida’s College of Journalism Visual Coordinator Steve Johnson encourages his students to have an online presence.

“If you can monitor it, social media can be the catalyst that gets you that job that makes you stand out over the thousands of other candidates that might be applying for that same position as you,” he said.

In 2012, 56 percent of businesses surveyed by the Society for Human Resource Management reported using social media sites to recruit potential candidates.

As a graduating senior, Kimberly Percuoco uses four social media sites to promote herself to potential employers. Connecting and linking the different sites together allows her to market her information across all four platforms.