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Online apps, social networking help connect employers, job seekers on web |
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Written by Lauren La Rose, THE CANADIAN PRESS
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Tuesday, 02 June 2009 |
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TORONTO - So you think condensing your training and work experience into a two-page resume is tough? Try paring down those details to just 140 characters.
The notion that job seekers could describe themselves to prospective employers in the same amount of space typically allotted to a text message may be too daunting for some.
But brevity is the name of the game on Twitter, and a Montreal-based company is harnessing the power of the popular social networking site to create special applications to help job seekers and employers connect online.
Felipe Coimbra, the force behind Twtapps, has developed a host of different applications to give that power to the "tweeple" as Twitter users are known, including the capability to create resumes, job postings and business cards.
With Twtjobs.com, a career manager application, users can create a Twitter resume marrying traditional elements of the CV with the modern-day online.
Users are asked to include their educational and experience levels along with their Twitter name, skill tags and a headline. Twtjobs also allows users to post job openings. For both those posting resumes or job openings, they are limited to 140 characters to describe themselves or the position on offer.
"The best way to actually find a job is through your networks, through people you know," said Coimbra, 28, a software engineer and entrepreneur originally from Salvador, Brazil.
"If you have the network on Twitter, and if you can leverage not only the people you know, the network of people you know but also the viral network of Twitter, then it's a win-win situation."
While basic services on Twtapps are free for use and without ads, there is an option to pay a one-time fee for unlimited branded jobs and resumes.
Welcome to "Job Search 3.0" - at least according to Alan Kearns.
Kearns, founder of CareerJoy, a national career coaching company, said that job boards and the inclusion of social media sites like LinkedIn and Facebook among others, mark "the next wave" as people incorporate the use of online networking to move forward in their careers.
Adam McNamara, an Ottawa-based software developer and entrepreneur, used traditional job search methods like job aggregation and company websites in his search for work. But the 23-year-old said he landed his current job to build "Government 2.0" for the federal Liberal Party after he was recruited via Twitter.
McNamara said many Twitter clients have a search function built in, and in his case, he set up custom searches for software development jobs in Ottawa which would run throughout the day, reporting back any search matches.
McNamara, who is also chief operating officer of Select Start Studios, a mobile game development start-up, said he doesn't think Twitter should be considered a "different" way to find a job, and said he prefers it over traditional job search websites.
"In my experience, the companies who post on Twitter are the ones who are forward thinking and realize its power, not the hype," he said in an email interview. "People who look for jobs on Twitter are usually the 'Silicon Valley types,' young, technologically savvy, and engaged. It's usually a good fit between company and employee."
Derek Gagne is CEO of West Vancouver-based Talent Edge Solutions, which helps clients recruit and retain talent. Gagne said there has been a big spike in interest among clients seeking to integrate social networking into their online and recruitment strategies.
In the case of Facebook and LinkedIn, there are many corporate pages on both sites where employers are able to create a pool of applicants who
are potentially interested in working for them now or in the future, he said.
"Having that online presence on these sites allows you to create a tool where you can sort of bring these people into your recruiting orbit and engage them so that when an opportunity does arise, whether it be today or down the road, you have ... a pool that has already been generated as opposed to realizing we have a vacancy tomorrow and having to start from scratch."
Kearns said as individuals set up online profiles on social networking sites, it's important for them to remember that everything they do online is leaving "a digital shadow."
"You want to be careful about what comments you're making and how you're presenting yourself," he said.
Kearns said it's important for individuals to ensure their profile is reflective of who they are both professionally and personally.
To that end, some may decide to use one social networking site like Facebook as their "personal face to the world" strictly for friends, while using another site like LinkedIn to show their "professional face" to the public.
"Those are some things to think about: who are you, how do those things reflect who you are, and how do you make sure that those are in alignment with who you are, and how to use them strategically," he said. "You can use them for researching, for outreach, for connecting with people if you're smart about it."
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On The Net:
CareerJoy: www.careerjoy.com
Select Start Studios: www.selectstartstudios.com
Talent Edge Solutions: www.talentedgesolutions.com
Twtapps: www.twtapps.com
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