Post by David Pierce. Find me on Twitter.

I’ve spent the last few months of my life obsessively printing resumes, checking Craigslist, looking for openings, meeting people, and doing anything I possibly could to find a job. It was a long process, but was remarkably successful for me: I’ve got some great things coming when I graduate (which is, like, really soon), at a time when a lot of employees and employers alike are struggling.

I don’t tell you this to toot my own horn, but as a way of telling you why I got the chances and the opportunities I’ve been given. I’m absolutely, 100% convinced that it boiled down to one thing: I had a strong, active presence online that I was proud of, and that I could point employers to, and that acted as a resume for me in everything I did.

Creating a presence online isn’t a huge time-commitment, nor does it require a lot of technical know-how or expertise. With a little bit of investment and thinking, you can create a brand for yourself that can do everything from prove your hip-ness to actually landing you job offers—not to mention the incredible fame, fortune, and the cadre of attractive people that want to hang out with you at every second. With a few clever tips and tools, you’ll be a Web superstar in no time.

Step 1: Create a homepage

The first step to being awesome is to create a landing space, a hub for all the things you do, online and off. The way a lot of people do this is to create a webpage for themselves, which is a lot more work but can also serve you incredibly well, and work wonders toward creating your personal brand (here’s mine).

But if you don’t want to put in all the effort—and you truly don’t need to—at least have some way for people to find you online. Employers will Google you, and you’re better off making sure they find out what you’re doing. There are a number of awesome services that let you set up a simple profile and hub for yourself online: Chi.mp, Magntize, and even Google Profiles are all awesome solutions. Having a page you can link to in an email, or find in Google searches, is critical—and it takes little to no effort on your part.

Step 2: Interact with People

If you haven’t already, go get a Twitter account. Just do it. Get a Facebook account too, while you’re at it. The world is becoming social, and those two networks are leading the charge—I’ve heard more than a couple of stories of companies not hiring someone because they didn’t have a Twitter account, which said to the employer that they weren’t active on the latest technologies and trends. For anyone who says Twitter’s just a tool for telling people you’re having a sandwich, I challenge you to get on Twitter, interact with some people who interest you, and revel in how many barriers the Web is breaking.

Social networks, whichever you decide to be on (please, if you’re not in a band, not MySpace), are a fantastic way to do everything from promote yourself to find other people like you, and they’re an incredibly powerful social tool. I’ve met people who’ve helped me enormously in my career and life on Twitter, people I would never have met otherwise. Don’t fall into the time-sink that social networking can be, but become and stay active—asserting yourself into a community will make you part of it.

Step 3: Blog!

The single piece of recommendation I give to everyone I know is this: start a blog. Pick something you know a lot about, or are interested in, and blog about it. Maybe it’s tech; maybe it’s gardening; maybe it’s detailed guides on how to survive a bear attack, in any scenario. My blog, because it’s something I’ve put time and effort into, is both successful by itself, and the single most impressive piece of my resume.

Thanks to companies like WordPress and Blogger, blogging requires neither money nor technical know-how. Whether you’re teaching people how to manage their money or talking about your Beanie Babies, just blog! Even if no one reads (and if you work at it, people will read), who cares? It looks awesome to an employer.

Step 4: Find Your Community

As you start blogging, and interacting with people on the Web through Twitter, Facebook and the like, look around and see who else is out there doing what you are—whether it’s what you’re currently doing, or what you’d like to be doing. Find some people in your niche, and get to know them. Build a community of people like you—if no one knows who you are, how are they supposed to find you?

There are a few tools out there to help you with this: WeFollow and Twellow are two of my favorites, but there’s no shortage of ways to find interesting people on Twitter, particularly with the addition of Lists and sites like Listorious. Facebook, too, has a ton of tools for finding brands, people, and companies that are right up your alley.

There is no step 5. Building a presence online has lead to both my getting things I asked for, and being approached about some incredible opportunities. I’m far less qualified for everything I’m doing than most people I know, but I’ve slowly learned how to build something I’m proud of, and become part of the community of people I want to be one of.

The Web makes finding people, interacting with them, and sharing yourself so easy that there’s no reason not to be taking advantage. It doesn’t have to be hard, or cost a nickel, or require you to learn anything new—share yourself, engage with others, and you’ll be amazed at how many amazing things sprout up.

I sure was.

How else are you creating your brand and presence on the Web, and what’s it doing for you?