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Recently I have been doing some research on non-traditional job search boards including sites such as JobShouts, Doostang, and Workforce50. These sites each approach job search from a unique angle. That is one of the reasons I like the site I am covering today:
Linkup.
What makes Linkup.com unique from traditional job boards like Monster and HotJobs? Linkup is a job site search engine and aggregator.
LinkUp aggregates its job listings from employer websites, very often directly from an employer career site via their applicant tracking system. This allows Linkup to identify many unadvertised jobs. Finding unadvertised job is a key factor in any successful job search. It greatly improves your chances of finding a job. Statistics show that up to 85% of all job openings are never advertised!
To find out more about Linkup, I contacted the founder, G.L. Hoffman. On his web site, G.L. describes himself as being a serial entrepreneur and venture investor/operator/incubator/mentor. He has been featured in Forbes, Wall Street Journal and other local business publications and newspapers.
Currently, G.L. is the Chairman of JobDig, an employment-focused media company that delivers multi-channel recruitment advertising solutions to employers of all sizes in all industries. JobDig publishes a free weekly jobs newspaper in markets throughout the U.S., operates the popular website jobDig.com, and partners with network and cable TV stations and radio stations in each of its markets to allow companies to leverage broadcast media in their recruitment advertising. The company also owns and operates LinkUp.com.
His daily blog can be found at www.whatwoulddadsay.com, JobDig.com, and now as a weekly guest writer at US News and World Report. He can be followed on twitter at www.twitter.com/glhoffman
Here is my interview:
1. Describe your site for us and tell us how it works.
LinkUp is the new and unique job search engine that only lists jobs taken directly from company websites. We call them "hidden jobs" because they are typically unadvertised outside of company websites and can be difficult to find if you don't know where to look.
When you search for a job on LinkUp, you are actually searching over 21,214 company websites. These are always current openings - if a company adds or removes a job from their website, so do we. There are never stale or out-dated listings on LinkUp.
All of our job listings are from real companies. You won't find work-at-home scams, recruiters, or staffing agencies. You also won't find the same job listed multiple times from different sources. We point you directly to the single source for the job - the company website. If you choose to apply to a position you do so directly to the employer.
2. Where did you get the idea for LinkUp?
Our core business was in the employment media arena with JOBDIG, which is still a local job employment media business that we operate. We recognized that some of the most successful job seekers were finding job openings via networking and finding out about job openings AHEAD of others, by going directly to a company's own website. The problem is, of course, that most people don't follow enough local companies, or do know their URLS, etc. We thought it would be helpful to put all those into one spot...and that spot is LINKUP.com.
3. Can you give us three tips for job seekers to use LinkUp most effectively?.
o
Linkup should be only one of the places you should check to find your next job. There are others. We have made our search engine incredibly simple, fast and easy. In the next few weeks, we will be launching even more features which will make LINKUP the THE preferred place to find a real job opening.
o
Because we capture a more robust job listing/description off the company's own website, the job seeker can use a variety of search terms, and not just the job title. For example, one can search on '401 matching' to find those companies...or "dog friendly" ...or "company softball"--the more terms, the more creative the job seeker, the more likely it is that they will find something great.
o
With some new tools on our site, now and soon, the job seeker will be able to delve deeper into the company for background, org charts, news, profiles, issues being faced and so on. Anything that we can do to help the job seeker become a better prepared employee.
4. Where do you see job search going in the next 12 months?
There are always jobs available. In fact, I just wrote about this on my blog .
Job seekers should use every resource available to them.
From a 40,000 foot view, I think the days of pay to post for jobs, meaning a company paying Monster $350 for a month long post for one job opening, is coming to an end. Companies want to maintain more control of the process. We think a clear way to do this is to have your own careers page on your company website. Over time, job seekers will understand the company's own website is the best place to find a real job. Meaning not from a scam operation, etc.
Companies will either pay a subscription fee to have all their jobs located there or will pay a per click, or success fee, when a job seeker clicks on the relevant link.
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