Although LinkedIn is still king when it comes to finding jobs through social networking, Facebook might make some waves soon with a job search feature. A Dow Jones Newswires reporter recently heard that Facebook is planning to launch its own job board, aggregating listings from third-party providers.
Sources say this doesn’t mean that Facebook is trying to take over LinkedIn, but it does pose a bit of a threat. The two sites are more similar than you’d think. Facebook will dip into job searching applications on its own platform — namely BranchOut, JobVite, and Work4 Labs. This new development could launch as soon as August, Dow Jones reports.
A Facebook spokesperson quoted in the story declined to comment about a potential job board.
It’s unsure whether or not job ads will be integrated into users’ news feeds or exist on a separate part of the site.
A Barron‘s blogger, Tiernan Ray, says that LinkedIn shouldn’t feel threatened by Facebook’s rumored foray into the employment sector. He quotes JP Morgan analyst Doug Anmuth:
We believe many users will want to keep their social and professional profiles somewhat separate online … We do not view it as a material threat to LinkedIn, and we would view any material weakness as a good buying opportunity.
As many recruiters are already checking Facebook profiles during the interview process, this could raise privacy concerns.
Readers: Would you apply for a job through Facebook?
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