Google Plus Jobs (Google+)

Every time a social network comes along, someone figures out a way to turn it into a job board. Linkedin pretty much is already a job board in and of itself, Twitter has its TweetMyJobs, and Facebook has Branchout. It’s also easy to think that Facebook itself will become a job board, but it hasn’t happened yet.

Enter Google Plus (Google+). What does this mean for jobs? Will people regularly use it to find job opportunities ? Will recruiters and employers use Google Plus to post jobs ?

As of this writing, no independent service or application has been built yet (that we know of) specifically for career related networking using Google Plus. It would be difficult at this point, as the data that goes in (for now), stays in. There are no RSS feeds or XML data feeds to pull and push jobs on to Google Plus, or way to search for job postings from recruiters and employers without directly using the service.

So until there is a Google Plus Branchout equivalent, the best way to use Google’s new service for career and job related search and recruitment is to use the native service.

Quick ways to Use Google Plus for Jobs

• Recruiters and Employers can’t at this time launch company pages and profiles. That means no nice employment branding opportunity, etc… like on a Facebook fan page. For now, everything has to be driven through individual recruiters. This could be a good thing – your individual recruiters can personalize their jobs and reach out to targeted networks of candidates.
  • You can develop “hotbooks” of candidates by using Circles. It’s as easy as adding people into Circles and recruiters can enter descriptive information that the candidates don’t see. For example, if you recruit Java developers, the recruiter can make a Circle for Java developers.
  • The update feature offers unlimited text, which means recruiters can post full job descriptions in Google Plus. The individual recruiter can then share that information with a select Circle. It does not have to be public like on Twitter. This is a great development, as the update system and stream offers controlled access. The recruiter can use Google+ for personal reasons and also post jobs. On Twitter, the recruiter has to feel like they are annoying their friends and family with a constant stream of jobs.
  • Recruiters can now import Facebook, Yahoo, and Hotmail contacts into Google Plus. However, very shortly, you will be able to upload CSV files into Google Plus. That means you will be able to grab lists from applicant tracking systems or other social networks and import and categorize them easily.
  • Jobs posted on Google Plus will be indexed on Google of course, and logic would tell you that they will be highly ranked. Be sure to follow the same principles as on your own employment site – be specific and descriptive in your job posting language.

• Job Seekers will for right now find the amount of jobs listed on Google Plus to be quite limited (as of this writing, this is sure to change quickly.) However, it will become a tremendously valuable resource for professional networking.
  • The key to Google Plus is the control that it offers. Obviously, on Linkedin or Twitter you would never post an update – “I’m looking for a new job!” It still may not be advisable to do that on Google Plus (it’s just too dangerous), however theoretically, it should be safe. You could easily develop a Circle of agency recruiters or friends in your industry that you trust and then post a quick update that would go out only to them. Your boss and/or colleagues don’t have to know you are looking for a job.
  • For the moment, Google Plus is receiving very heavy commenting and participation, especially from certain sectors (like technology professionals). It’s very easy to jump into conversations and find and follow people in your location, in your industry, or even to find people who work at companies that you would like to target in your job search.
  • Very much like Linkedin, Google Plus offers a lot of professionally oriented fields, which include employers and occupation. Of course, you should enter this information as completely as possible to turn up in searches. The about section is the place to sell yourself, and Google Plus even put in a particular field for Bragging Rights. Make sure these are filled out and come across as successful and professional.

Google Plus is in its infancy, but will certainly develop into a very useful jobs and career networking resource for both recruiters and job seekers. We look forward to the outside application and services that will no doubt spring up as well. For now, it’s a good idea to try it out, get used to the technology, and do a few test searches and job posts. Whether you are a recruiter or jobseeker, you’ll want to begin building your Circles and expand your professional network from the beginning of the new service. Good luck out there!