We first covered Washington DC startup Barrel of Jobs back in May. They were one of 28 startup teams pitching at the two day Capital Connection event in our nation’s capital.
Barrel of Jobs isn’t your ordinary career startup though. What Chris Hertz and Craig Zingerline have done with the concept of job hunting is truly innovative. Their unique new platform harnesses the power of social networks and present day “word of mouth” to connect businesses with the best candidates, even if they weren’t exactly looking for a job.
In our video interview with them here, both Hertz and Zingerline explain exactly how Barrel of Jobs works.
Companies everywhere are quickly realizing that beyond connecting people, social networks are the “word of mouth” for current times. Marketers, brands and musicians have all harnessed the power of social media for “word of the mouth”.
Barrel of Jobs does the same thing for jobs. You may not know a top level JavaScript developer or a marketing executive in the Real Estate Industry but a friend of your friend on a social network may have the perfect candidate in mind. Again, even if they aren’t necessarily looking.
So I’ve said “not necessarily looking”a couple of times so far, what does that mean?
Well Barrel of Jobs and it’s social element mean that jobs can be connected to people who may be passively looking. You know the type, you may have a friend in a career position that’s upset about pay or their boss but they aren’t actively looking. They may be ok with their current position because it’s comfortable, or because of the benefits. Friends may know this information but also know that person hasn’t floated a resume in years. By taking advantage of social networking open jobs can be referred to those people and vice versa.
Inevitably when you go to a networking event you hear about some job opening. Perhaps it’s not for you, but you recommended a great candidate. Barrel of Jobs takes that exact concept, takes it to the web and multiplies it.
Even just recently launched this hit startup is picking up traction. Nibletz covered them in May here. They are in the Huffington Post here, The Business Journal here.
Linkage:
See how Barrel of Jobs works in the video here
Check out Barrel of Jobs yourself here
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