What has 48 million users, 3% weekly growth, and is blue and white all over? Why, only one of the largest communicational phenomenons since the telephone. Taking North America by storm, Facebook is slowly taking over the web with its endless array of uses for everything from networking, marketing and even dating.

What first began as young entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg’s brainchild for a social utility catering only to American university students, has now grown to be one of the world’s largest networking sites. Think it’s just for students? Think again. According to the website itself, more than half of Facebook users are outside of college, and the fastest growing demographic are those 25 years of age and older. In Canada alone, there are now over 6 million active users, with 61% of those outside the college demographic. And, here’s some more food for thought: Facebook is now the #1 most trafficked site in Canada, with a whopping 8.5 billion page views, and a 68% rate of users who return to the site daily.

So, how can you get these numbers working for you? Simple. Create a profile and start networking. More and more accounting and finance professionals are latching on to the new trend, and making it work for them. Many call it free marketing: you can join groups, post your resume, browse jobs, connect with fellow professionals in your field, and get your name out there.

Large, high-profile companies are also catching on, by creating user groups with thousands upon thousands of members, all at your disposal. Most groups can be joined easily by the click of a mouse, while others require a simple request to the administrator. Once you are a member, you can post on the group ‘wall’, participate in member discussions, receive messages and alerts from the group, and send messages to other members. It’s a great way to find out about job openings, market trends, and other important news in your field.

See how PTC is using facebook to our advantage by joining our new Facebook group, where you will be able to view current contracts, network with other candidates and members of PTC, and discuss job search trials and tribulations. Simply log on to www.facebook.com, create your own profile and ‘face’ the free benefits for yourself.