FROM PSFK: Staying In The Loop...

Staying In The Loop: Networking Down Under

Australia has launched their first online multi-media platform aimed to match creative professionals with potential employers. With over 80,000 Australians already signed up, recruitment agencies and over 30 Australian-based companies such as The HyperFactory, MTV Networks, Discovery Networks,Billy Blue College of Design, the white agency and Sixty40 have all discovered a new hub for finding talent.

Conceived by media professionals Matt Fayle and Pip Jamieson, the idea was born in early 2009 recognizing a much-needed resource for the media professional environment.

They explain:

“We started with the notion of blending the biggest job search engine with the multi-media capabilities of social networking,” said Director and co-founder Pip Jamieson. “What we’ve ended up with is the best parts of Seek, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube all in one.’

Currently only in beta form, creative professionals across the spectrum are offered a unique template in which to showcase their experience, current projects and achievements. Features include the option to upload show reels, an unlimited number of multi-media files and specialized alerts to link with peers and potential employers. Employers can become introduced to their future employees via a virtual handshake targeting both passive and active job seekers. Across the site, it is possible to create customizable searches, allowing for a fully detailed and accurate range of results. Central to The Loop’s business model is their adoption of a price capped Cost Per Application model – a new option in the online job advertising market – allowing for advertising clients to truly track recruitment costs and making The Loop an affordable option for smaller, boutique scale businesses.

“There’s a huge appetite for people to publish their lives online,” said The Loop’s co-founder and Director, Matt Fayle. “If Facebook is for your social circle then The Loop is for your professional one, and from today never shall the two meet.”

Individuals and companies can build their profiles by visiting The Loop where they will be provided with a unique URL.