Online Social Networks & Job Hunting Intro

Have you heard of, and wondered about, sites like Friendster, LinkedIn, and the everpresent ClassMates.com?

They are just some of a growing number of "Social Networking" websites that make it easier for people to find other people online: old classmates, old co-workers or to chat up someone who has, or is, working for a company that you're interested in. There is job hunting value in all of these - connections work that way. Wrapped into this is the notion of "Alumni Networks" - which we've been intrigued by for some time; the ability of the web to allow past employees to stay connected, leading to:

• boomerang hires - they worked for you as college students on break, hire them again in their retirement.
• son, daughter, grandkids, niece, nephew etc hires
• keeping the connection and loyalty flowing for between-season seasonal staff
• letting would-be applicants see what your alumni, and/or staff, are talking about to share the culture and sell the company

Read more in the Wall Street Journal.

Then track what the Web Recruiting experts at CareerXRoads have to say about "Alumni Sites", which they identify as a trend for 2005.