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Is Facebook Personal or Professional? With BranchOut, It's Both!
A recent Microsoft study found that 85% of employers say a positive online reputation influences their hiring decisions. If you have already created a professional Facebook profile (here’s how), you may want to consider trying a new tool: BranchOut.
BranchOut (branchout.com) is a leading professional networking service on Facebook.
On BranchOut, you can create a professional profile, search millions of jobs, and see where your friends and friends-of-friends work. BranchOut is betting on the power of Facebook’s social graph to produce unprecedented results for job seekers and networkers.
Facebook is projected to have one billion users by 2012. On BranchOut, there is a strong network effect, meaning 300 Facebook friends may give you access to 30,000 professional connections.
Rick Marini, the founder of BranchOut is no stranger to fast-growing web tools. In 1999, he founded Tickle, a company with 200 million users that was sold to Monster.com in 2005. "Today," he explains, "because of Facebook’s unrivaled user base, BranchOut provides an abundance of inside connections at great companies that have never been possible before."
So what does this mean for you?
BranchOut could be a powerful tool, especially if you visit Facebook regularly. Some believe it could rival LinkedIn, as the numbers of potential connections via Facebook significantly outnumber LinkedIn’s reach.
You can easily create a professional profile by importing your LinkedIn profile. You may also search for jobs by company name, skill, location, or job title.
You’ll be surprised by how many connections you have at thousands of companies, but you have to have at least 10 BranchOut connections to get the most of BranchOut’s features. The site suggests you invite friends when you’re first setting up your account.
If you don’t like to receive a lot of email, be sure to check "email settings" at the bottom of your BranchOut.com site. Deselect as many of the options as you choose, most especially "notify me when a friend joins my Branchout network."
© Copyright Miriam Salpeter, 2011. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Miriam Salpeter is a Career Action Coach and Owner of Keppie Careers. With a master’s degree from Columbia University and over 12 years of experience, her mission is to encourage, enlighten and empower job seekers and entrepreneurs for success. She teaches best practices to land great career opportunities and offers clients clarity, confidence, and social media know-how. You may follow her @Keppie_Careers and join her Facebook community for frequent updates.