Since its launch this year, BranchOut, a professional networking platform on Facebook, has been growing steadily. Before BranchOut, many job seekers were reluctant to use Facebook as a job search tool because of all the personal information that could be displayed. BranchOut leverages the power of the Facebook network, but the BranchOut profile only shows work history, education, and positive endorsements to business contacts. On BranchOut, users  can connect professionally without becoming Facebook friends, so they can keep their personal information private. I recently interviewed Mike Del Ponte from BranchOut to learn more about this exciting resource.

Who Uses BranchOut?

BranchOut is the largest professional network on Facebook, with millions of users in more than 60 countries. We have users that are Fortune 500 CEOs, and we have entry level employees. We’re empowering Facebook users to network with those whom they have the most authentic relationships – their friends – and search for hundreds of thousands of jobs through the world’s largest social network.

How does it work?

You have two options to add BranchOut to your Facebook profile.  Either visit branchout.com, or after logging into your Facebook account, search for the BranchOut app and select the app that appears. Once you have the app, click “Grow Network” and you’ll find a number of options to select from, including email, wall posts, and a few additional communication channels on Facebook.

Your Facebook friends who are existing BranchOut users will automatically be added to your BranchOut network. If you’re Facebook friends, but they’re not already BranchOut users, you can invite them to BranchOut using wall posts and the request channel on Facebook.

When reviewing the more than three million job postings or 20,000 internships, you’ll see all of your inside connections – your Facebook friends, who you’re connected to through BranchOut, and their friends. This alerts you to your vast network of insider connections, who you just happen to have the most authentic relationships, so that you can network with them to ensure your resume is at the top of the pile or make an introduction to a hiring manager.

Through BranchOut, you can upload your resume, or create one from scratch, ask for or give endorsements, share updates with your BranchOut network and browse jobs.

What was the inspiration for BranchOut?

The idea for BranchOut came from a phone call that BranchOut’s founder Rick Marini received from a friend. The friend asked Rick for an introduction at a company where the friend wanted a sales lead. Rick wanted to see who he might know at the company by searching Facebook. Unfortunately, that search functionality was not available on Facebook, a major frustration point for Rick, which lead to Rick asking his Director of Engineering to build a search widget. They immediately saw the potential for leveraging Facebook connections to increase professional success.

What do you think is BranchOut’s top feature?

One of the features our users love is the ability to see who they know at companies that interest them. For example, if they are looking for a job at Google, all they have to do is type in “Google” to BranchOut and see everyone they know, both their friends and friends of their friends, who can help them.

Can you share a user success story?

BranchOut has so many examples of people who have found jobs on Facebook. One BranchOut user, a salesman in Florida, was unemployed for six months. He used BranchOut and not only found a job he loves, but also got a 45% salary increase. Another BranchOut user is a disabled veteran in Detroit, who was looking for a job that allowed him to work from home. Through BranchOut he quickly found his dream job at Apple. He was thrilled and now loves what he does.

What’s on the horizon for BranchOut?

BranchOut continues to release new features that take online professional networking to the next level such as new professional profiles and enhanced job posts. We will also be launching more community features that facilitate communication and collaboration between BranchOut users. BranchOut has also recently released a number of tools that help recruiters find great job candidates on Facebook through BranchOut.