BranchOut is taking the popular saying “go out on a limb” to a whole new level.
This application, founded in July 2010, manages the largest professional networking service on Facebook with over three million jobs and more than 20,000 internships.
BranchOut allows users to utilize their Facebook connections to find jobs and their networks to build relationships with professional contacts.
What’s more is that it’s free to join.
So why might someone use this application when he or she already has a LinkedIn account or other professional networking accounts?
“BranchOut fits college kids better because it’s focusing on college kids, whereas LinkedIn is more professional based,” Ted Maguire, intern for BranchOut, said.
Apart from the fact that it’s focusing on college students, there are other reasons why BranchOut is worth looking into as a professional networking service.
It’s pretty painless to set up.
Simply search in the Facebook search bar for BranchOut.
After logging in, which you must have a Facebook account to do so, the interface of the website is neat, clear and intuitive.
The user is then prompted to follow the steps to set up the profile, which unlike other social networking sites, takes five minutes at most.
One aspect that is unique to BranchOut is it allows the user to upload a résumé, which reduces the profile setup time significantly.
Once the user is finished setting up his or her profile, the user has the option to start connecting with others.
The find people tab allows the user to search through current Facebook friends to add as connections.
After the user clicks on a friend, BranchOut shows them the connections that friend has.
The connections are listed as either a first, second or third connection.
A first connection icon means the person has a direct relationship with a specific company.
A second connection icon means the person knows someone who has a direct relationship with a specific company.
The third connection icon means the person knows someone who knows someone with a direct relationship.
This intuitive method of tracking connections allows users to see exactly how a connection could influence their job or networking search.
The way BranchOut allows users to network with one another and establish credibility on the user’s profile page is through “endorsements.”
This option allows users to write endorsements for other users they have connected with to help them with their online reputation.
This is important because, according to BranchOut’s website, “85 percent of employers say a positive online reputation influences their hiring decisions.”
For those who are interested in finding an internship or job, this might be an easy way to get a jumpstart.
After all, finals are nearing and since BranchOut is on everyone’s favorite procrastination tool, it might be a way to put off studying just a little longer.
