Finding a Job on Google+

On July 22, 2011, Google+ hit 20 million unique visitors. Of these 20 million visitors, 60% of them are between the ages of 18 and 25 and 63% of them are male. As Google+ continues to grow, users are beginning to find various uses for the fledgling social network. One of these uses is recruitment and job search since most of the users are early adopters and industry experts looking for like-minded people. Here are some early tips for how to use Google+ for you job search.

Announce your job search
Let your network know that you are looking for a job by mentioning it in your "About" section or by posting a status update. Try to communicate your unique skillset and value to the company and job that you want while not appearing desperate.

Create a job search circle
Obviously, you do not want prospective employers to see your weekend party pictures or your  sarcastic status updates. One of the primary appeals of Google+ is that you can send out tailored messages to different circles. Create a circle for contacts at companies that you want to work with and demonstrate to them that you are professional and knowledgable in your desired field of work. When other users see who is in your circles, it will portray youself as connected in the industry.

Talk over Hangouts

Invite the contacts in your job search circle to discuss industry topics in a Google Hangout. If you are truly in-the-know with the latest industry issues, you will portray yourself as an expert and someone who is truly passionate about his or her work. Another tactic is to set up an informational interview through Hangouts. Hangouts can save employers time while adding value for little to no cost.

Follow relevant Sparks
Google's Sparks are a great way to stay informed on topics of your choosing. Sparks brings in great content from all over the Internet that you can then share with your network, particularly your circle of prospective employers.

Source: Mashable

Google+: A New Way to Recruit

With the arrival of Google+, many recruiters who have embraced social media are wondering, "Should I bother or is this another failed attempt at social networking by Google". While the user base remains intentionally small, there seems to be the sentiment among critics and users alike that Google+ has staying power. Some have tried to make comparisons with other social networks by saying that it is "Facebook for adults" or "Twitter with a better interface" but Google+ really is less of a social network and more of a means to share content.

At the moment, Google is still working on its platform for businesses (which won't be ready until late 2011) and have been actively disabling business accounts that have already been created on Google+. The reason, as Google Product Manager Christian Oestlien puts it, is that "how users communicate with each other is different from how they communicate with brands" Oestlien hints that the business version of Google+ will include deep analytics and the ability to connect with products. Google intends to offer a test trial of the business platform to a limited number of companies over the next few months, much like how the personal version of Google+ has been limited to invitees.

That does not mean that recruiters should wait until their company is on Google+ before joining the network themselves. The "Circles" feature, which is Twitter's Lists function, is a great way keep tabs on potential candidates and organize them into groups. For example, you can create circles for each job you are filling and place candidates in as many of the job circles as you wish. If you find a candidate that is worth pursuing further, you can set up a "hangout"to enable voice and video chat with that candidate or with the entire circle.

Google+ can also be a valuable resource for screening and identifying what candidates are truly passionate about. While Google+ allows for more private sharing of content and information than Facebook (by letting users selectively choose which circles to share with), it is fully integrated with other Google products showing images from blogs that the user maintains on Google Blogs and any +1s from Google Search. While you may not be able to see a candidate's scandalous party pictures and controversial status updates, you will be able to get a sense of his or her interests and passions.

Lessons from Catbert: Downsizing

If you are downsizing do your best to ensure everyone's dignity and pride is intact. They will certainly appreciate it.