Social media is a powerful tool, and the go-green movement has a strong presence in the social media world. Facebook, Twitter, Digg, etc., are all great ways to get your environmental message out to thousands or millions of people you don’t know. A new Facebook app is harnessing this power to help people get back to work or even land their dream job — Hire My Friend.

 

With unemployment at 9.7 percent in January 2010, there are nearly 15 million Americans out of work. Although the number is lower than it was in December 2009, the long-term unemployed rate jumped. In January 2010, there were 6.3 million people who had been out of work for 27 or more weeks. It is likely that these individuals have exhausted most traditional methods of finding employment. Now is the time to get innovative, and Hire My Friend helps people do that.

 

However, as you can see, the title of the app is Hire My Friend not Hire Me. There’s a bit of altruism in this app. It is designed for you to help a friend get hired. One of the most important aspects of getting a job is who you know. Reach out to your network of friends and business associates and you will find more meaningful leads than if you apply for a job in a newspaper ad or off the Internet.

 

As a freelancer writer, this is the way that I’ve grown my own business for several years now. I’m not the only person who operates this way, though. Freelancers in all fields have known that networking is the key to opening doors and securing new opportunities. Hire My Friend builds on this concept and opens this little “freelancer secret” to everyone.

 

When you place the Hire My Friend app on your Facebook page, you can highlight your friend’s job-related credentials and then this information is displayed via a live feed post. Now your entire network of Facebook friends can see what your friend has to offer.

 

In addition to the app itself, the Hire My Friend Facebook page has a variety of useful resources for job seekers. One tab features the latest jobs that are being posted on Twitter, another powerful social media tool. Another tab has a directory of job searching blogs, major job search sites, resume solutions, and humor for the jobless. The developer of the app encourages people to keep their chins up and be funemployed. Between the jobless humor directory and the app’s funny job-related videos, you’re sure to have a smile on your face.

 

Although this app isn’t specific to finding someone a job in renewable energy or weatherizing houses, its altruistic nature speaks to eco-advocates everywhere. If you know of someone who is out of work or still trying to land her dream job, I encourage you to try the Hire My Friend app.