This week a secret society for PR and other communications professionals launched: PRWeek Talent Pool. This new social network is meant to be a platform for communicators to connect, share work, find partners, employees and employment opportunities, while helping individuals craft their own brand. So how does this newbie compare to LinkedIn and other similar professional networks?
Upon creating an account, you are given the option to “pre-populate” your account. This function fills in information using your LinkedIn profile. Filling in extensive profile information and resume information isn’t the most fun to write, so this LinkedIn integration is definitely a highlight. As an added bonus, you can add various file types to show off your work via JPG, Powerpoint, PDF, Word document, and YouTube video.
You can also add other social media accounts to your profile, so others can see how you present your brand in various mediums.
The Talent Pool side bar shows a list of talent in your area, and you can easily connect with others. Anyone can see your profile and send you a message, unlike LinkedIn, which requires you to say how you know the person. If your email is visible on your profile, users can also email you directly.
While the LinkedIn integration and easy communication tools are great, the user-experience on the site leaves a lot to be desired. At this point it is still very basic and not user-friendly. For instance, it does not allow you to indicate if you are presently working somewhere as each experience must have an end date. When typing a client list, there is a very small maximum of characters that can be included.
It is also limited in the sense that you cannot network with people in other fields, but maybe that’s not so bad since we have several other networks with which to do that. Sometimes it’s good to flock with birds of your own feather.
There are a lot of kinks to work out in the PRWeek Talent Pool. However, It’s a great idea with incredible potential. It’s great to connect with other communications professionals and be able to virtually bounce ideas of each other. It could definitely be a great tool for those looking for employees or those looking for a job.
Sign up for a PRWeek Talent Pool profile here to try it out. Let us know what you think in the comments!
