The way in which people have secured employment has certainly changed over the years. While employers of retail establishments may still place “Help Wanted” signs in their windows or place ads in the newspaper, they’re probably missing out on reaching thousands of candidates if they don’t place their job opportunities online, because the first place job seekers turn to nowadays is certainly the internet. And while the internet is amazing (nice job Al Gore) it has certainly amplified our need for immediacy, which brings us to the Smartphone.
With more than 20% of mobile phone users owning a Smartphone and with the current unemployment rate at a steady 9.6%, it is no wonder that the number of mobile app downloads for job searching is exploding.
We asked Jason Stevens the Mobile Applications Manager at Beyond.com, the world’s largest network of niche career communities, for his expert opinion on mobile apps as well as searching jobs on the go.
EmploymentMetrix: Do you think Smartphones are here to stay?
Jason: Yes, whether it’s an iPhone, Droid, Blackberry, Palm, etc…we’re only going to see more of them. By 2014, it is predicted that the internet will be more frequently searched on a mobile device than on a computer, which is very impressive. In fact, Beyond.com has experienced a boom in our mobile app downloads already, so much so that we predict a 1,000% growth from last year.
Additionally, several companies are planning for the future of mobile apps as organizations are investing hundreds of thousands of dollars to build apps as they see that platform as the future, so that is also a good indicator.
EmploymentMetrix: When searching for a job what types of job apps are downloaded most frequently?
Jason: When searching for a job the job apps that are most frequently downloaded are those that are geared toward a specific industry or niche. Also, in general when it comes to apps, those that are branded from a trusted organization are typically downloaded most frequently. So if you already have a relationship with a user, they’re more likely to download your mobile app.
But overall, the job apps that I’m seeing a lot of downloads for, and when I say a lot, I mean hundreds of thousands of downloads, are for niche job boards like TechCareers.com, HealthcareJobsite.com, ManhattanJobs.com and so forth. Which makes sense, if you’re in the market for a new job, why sift through hundreds of job opportunities that are not in your field or in your area? Searching by a specific industry or in a specific area is the fastest way to find a job.
Just to give an idea of the free mobile apps that are most downloaded for business purposes here is a look at the top mobile business apps in iTunes:
EmploymentMetrix: What are your future plans for the mobile space?
Jason: Right now our apps, allow job seekers to search and share relevant jobs as well as read valuable articles and watch videos to help them find a job faster. As we continue to explore the mobile space we are working toward allowing the user to do even more from their mobile device.
We will also keep on top of the latest mobile trends and make the necessary investments to offer our users a quality product.
EmploymentMetrix: Do you value the feedback you receive from your users?
Jason: User feedback is the most important feedback we receive. If our users have suggestions—we want to hear about. In fact, we’ve already made several updates to our job apps based on suggestions from our users.
Given the increase in Smartphone use, it won’t be long until we hear more and more reports of successful job searches being conducted strictly through mobile job apps. In the meantime, keep on downloading!
