CareerBuilder Partners with BranchOut to Bring More Social Connections to Job Search

CHICAGO and SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The global leader in human capital solutions with the largest job site in North America is joining forces with the largest professional network on Facebook.  CareerBuilder and BranchOut today announced a partnership that enables CareerBuilder's users to quickly expand their online network of contacts to get their foot in the door with a potential employer.

The partnership comes at a time when job seekers and employers around the globe are harnessing the power of social media in their job search and recruitment strategies.  According to a 2011 CareerBuilder study in the U.S., 40 percent of workers who are looking for jobs said they research companies that interest them on Facebook before applying to a position; one-in-five (21 percent) use Facebook to contact friends about job opportunities.  On the flip side, 29 percent of employers reported they use social media to recruit potential job candidates.  

One of the main benefits of BranchOut is that users are able to see where their Facebook friends and friends of friends work, creating expansive networks of contacts at companies which interest them. On average, a network of 300 Facebook friends translates to 30,000 professional connections through BranchOut. Recruiters, in turn, use BranchOut to promote jobs and source talent from everywhere from Wall Street to Main Street.  

"BranchOut is dedicated to helping people leverage the power of their professional network to find fulfilling jobs," said Rick Marini, founder and CEO of BranchOut. "In today's work environment, surfacing inside connections at potential workplaces is essential for job seekers, and leveraging CareerBuilder's reach and resources with our leadership as a professional network is a natural fit that delivers tremendous value to the labor community."

CareerBuilder has the most extensive job site user base in the U.S., a huge sales force and wide range of solutions using social media for recruitment.  Among ways the two companies will collaborate is the ability for job seekers to view jobs of interest and instantly see people in their expanded network who they could contact for a potential referral or advice on getting an interview.  

"This is a great partnership that has a lot of possibilities for job seekers and employers," said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder.  "In a highly competitive market, establishing more connections provides a distinct advantage.  From the job seeker's perspective, this is especially critical for younger workers who don't have the same professional contacts that more seasoned workers may have."  

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 14 million workers in the U.S. are unemployed. For those who are among the least likely to have a broad network of workplace contacts (workers age 20 to 24), the unemployment rate was 14.8 percent in August 2011, significantly higher than the 9.1 percent national average.  The partnership between CareerBuilder and BranchOut enables this workforce segment and others to add a whole new social experience to their job search and find opportunities faster.

About BranchOut®

BranchOut, founded in July 2010, is the largest professional network on Facebook with millions of users in over 60 countries and 15 languages. BranchOut users leverage their Facebook friend network to find jobs, source sales leads, recruit talent, and strengthen relationships with professional contacts. BranchOut also operates the largest job board on Facebook with over three million jobs and 20,000 internships. BranchOut's enterprise products help recruiters and hiring managers source talent more effectively. BranchOut's social job posts are easily shared on Facebook and Twitter, and display inside connections right in the job post. BranchOut's CareerConnect publishes job postings on a company's Facebook Page. For more information, visit www.branchout.com.

About CareerBuilder®

CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and attract their most important asset - their people. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com®, is the largest in the United States with more than 24 million unique visitors, 1 million jobs and 40 million resumes. CareerBuilder works with the world's top employers, providing resources for everything from employment branding and data analysis to recruitment support. More than 9,000 websites, including 140 newspapers and broadband portals such as MSN and AOL, feature CareerBuilder's proprietary job search technology on their career sites. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company and The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.

Media Contacts:
CareerBuilder
Jennifer Grasz
773-527-1164
[email protected]
http://www.twitter.com/CareerBuilderPR

BranchOut
Marcus Gamo
(415) 277-4925
[email protected]
http://www.twitter.com/BranchOut

SOURCE CareerBuilder