Monday, July 25, 2011

LinkedIn Apply: Giant Step for Jobseekers

Today, LinkedIn launched the Apply With LinkedIn feature. This is big,big news for jobseekers. Really big news.

The Apply feature allows employers and job boards to integrate an "Apply With LinkedIn" button on job postings. For jobseekers, this means eliminating the nee
d to create a new profile or complete a detailed application every time you apply for a job on a company's website or via a job board.

It might take a while, but we think most employers will eventually add the Apply With LinkedIn button. Some companies have already turned on the feature within their applicant tracking systems. At Tweetajob, we're working on adding the feature asap. Eventually, says LinkedIn, the Apply button will work on smart phones (making it easy to apply to jobs from Tweetajob straight from your phone!).

Hoorah for LinkedIn. They listened to end users, who have long complained that applying for jobs takes waaayyy too long. We agree. We're big advocates of creating tools that simplify job search for jobseekers.

As for other job boards, time will tell. The push to standardize online job applications may be too big too ignore, and perhaps the big job boards will eventually join in. They could have gotten together and done this years ago. They didn't. So along comes Web 2.0, open APIs and voila! What once seemed unlikely is now possible in a few simple steps. LinkedIn just created a HUGE competitive advantage, longevity and even more loyal users.

There is, of course, a potential downside. Making it even easier to apply for jobs encourages random, inappropriate applications, increasing the volume of resumes/profiles that employers must review. The problem of the resume "black hole" persists. But, for today, jobseekers can claim victory!


Friday, July 8, 2011

Big News: Post Jobs for FREE all Summer!


We want to help get America back to work.

So we're offering recruiters a 100% discount all summer long! That's right, post your jobs -- as many as you like, as often as you like -- for free until Oct 1, 2011. Apply code "HireFriday" at check-out to get your discount. Pass it along!

Thanks to Margo Rose of #HireFriday for the inspiration!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Social Media for Jobseekers

I co-presented this material with a small group a few months ago. I hope they are all gainfully employed by now!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

New Website Helps Users Research Careers

Deciding what to do when you grow up is daunting. There are so many choices, and so little information about specific jobs. Until now. A new website, Inside Jobs, attempts to catalogue jobs and provide in-depth information about the education, skills and career pathing for a wide variety of jobs. The job profiles are written in clear, jargon-free language. Salary ranges, and even occupational outlook information is provided when available. Links to Wikipedia definitions and Bureau of Labor Statistics information are also incorporated into profiles.

The site is free for users. Advertisers -- mainly educational institutions --pay to attract students' attention.

Some jobs, such as infographic designer, even incorporate entertaining videos into the profile. The design is sleek and simple. The information is as rich as I've seen anywhere. This could easily become an invaluable resource to jobseekers, teachers, career changers and anyone looking for a way to explore new careers.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Meet the Recruiters at the Deluxe Corp.

More employers should help jobseekers understand the hiring process. Kudos to recruiting team at Deluxe Corp. for embracing social media!