Startup Spotlight: BranchOut


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Submitted by Janice Joo on Tue, 06/19/2012 - 12:46pm.

BranchOut, founded by Harvard MBA alum Rick Marini, is a social networking service that uses the Facebook platform to connect job seekers to jobs. With over 3 million job postings, it is the largest professional network on Facebook.

Unique Point of Difference
BranchOut is unique because it uses Facebook. The effect of capitalizing on the largest social networking platform is the resulting use of "real relationships to advance professionally"; professional networks can be discovered among personal relationships on Facebook. For example, your cousin's friend's uncle may have a job for you!

EdLab Relevance
Like BranchOut, our own product, Ednode, is also a networking site. In Ednode, users can input data from their LinkedIn profiles to their Ednode profiles; however, is there a way to capitalize on other existing platforms, not just for profile data, but also for networking data (i.e. "Invite your Facebook friends to Ednode" or "Find out who you already know on Ednode")?

Our Takeaway
BranchOut repurposes existing social networks for job searching.

Posted in Public | Janice Joo's blog | login or register to post comments »

Joann Agnitti Says:
Tue, 06/19/2012 - 4:40pm

I don't know if I like the idea of mixing business with pleasure. I'd rather keep things separate: LinkedIn for professional stuff, Facebook for fun (whenever I actually decide to use it). Plus, what happens when your cousin's friend's uncle fires you? Then it's just awkward times all around.

Megha Agarwala Says:
Tue, 06/19/2012 - 4:30pm

Janice, how would you say Branchout differs from the other leading professional network : Linkedin (other than Branchout capitalizing on the Facebook platform)

Janice Joo Says:
Tue, 06/19/2012 - 4:49pm

Interesting question!

I wonder what the pricing model is like for employers to make postings on Branchout vs LinkedIn. I think there is a difference there.

Also, there are cons to Branchout. I ignore any and all facebook app requests. I feel like Facebook is too personally attached that I don't want to lose control of how that information is used.

Kate Meersschaert Says:
Tue, 06/19/2012 - 2:14pm

Janice, I really like the "branching" to Ednode(such a bad pun!)! It is interesting to note how closely ed outcomes are related to the job search... here is a short post that really exemplifies this mirroring. i.e. more project-based work in schools & more of these "project-based" displays of experience.