Finding
a job is not easy but a range of smartphone and web apps are designed
to customize employment searches and even provide information on the
competition.
Free apps such as SimplyHired,
Indeed, and Monster, for iPhone and Android devices, provide job
opportunities through a keyword search, and web-based apps, including
TwitJobSearch and TweetMyJobs, will scour Twitter for opportunities and
send job alerts through the social network.
A
new free iPhone app called TheLadders takes a different approach and
sends a list of job opportunities to users based on their employment
profile and career goals.
"One of the big
frustrations for job hunters is that they go online to apply for a job
and they don't hear back. It's a black hole," said Alex Douzet, chief
executive and co-founder of TheLadders, headquartered in New York.
TheLadders
uses algorithms to pick out the 50 best jobs for a user based on
location, current title, preferences, seniority, areas of expertise,
industry and salary goals.
"By doing this what
we're creating is a new job discovery mechanism that ... actually
matches you to opportunities that are relevant to your profile," he
explained.
Job seekers browse opportunities by
tapping on a listing to reveal information about the position, company
and requirements. Premium users, who pay $25, can also see how they
compare to other unnamed applicants who use the app in terms of salary
and education.
When a user deletes a job
opening it helps the algorithm learn the user's preferences. By
indicating they "like" a potential job, the user's profile is sent to
the recruiter.
Last week Nokia released a new
job app for Windows phones called JobLens. It uses augmented reality,
which overlays information on the real world as viewed through the
device's camera, to show users job openings in their neighborhoods.
"Knowing
proximity to a job is critical in assessing whether it's the right
opportunity," said Bryan Biniak, vice president and general manager of
global partner and app development at Nokia.
"We're
all trying to find the right work-life balance, and minimizing your
commute is an important consideration. Augmented reality gives job
seekers this insight," he added.
JobLens
aggregates job postings from popular job search sites including LinkedIn
and Indeed. It also connects with social networks to display any
personal connections to the company.
TheLadders'
Douzet advises job hunters to be focused, realistic and to apply early
because after 72 hours of a job being posted on TheLadders, the chances
of hearing back from a recruiter drop by 50 per cent.
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