Yahoo launched a preview of its new social network Web site, Yahoo Kickstart, last week specifically aimed at college students, recent graduates, professionals and alumni.
Created by Yahoo’s Advanced Products team, Kickstart connects its members to help them find out about internships and jobs, get career advice and mentorship, discover new hires, give back to colleges and universities and connect with fellow alumni and past colleagues, according to the Web site.
Members of Kickstart create a professional profile and have the ability to browse company profiles and network with peers, professors, alumni and potential employers.
With graduation looming, students like Justin Thigpen said they feel this new social networking site will help ease the worry over finding a job.
“Everyone is a little bit worried about it, I don’t think anyone knows 100 percent what they want to do when the graduate,” Thigpen, a senior in microbiology, said.
Demetrius Harrison, a senior in electrical and computer engineering, said he feels the network Web site definitely could make networking easier, compared with more traditional ways of networking.
“My GPA isn’t that good and I feel people that have a 3.75 GPA or higher get sucked into a secret society where everyone is contacting them for jobs — networking is sort of nepotistic, where it’s through friends and family, or fraternities, and I have no advantage in either,” Harrison said. “I feel it would help me with networking, give me more insight, and give me great career opportunities.”
Ricky Scott, a graduate student in higher education administration, said he feels confident he will have the networking skills he needs after getting his doctorate, but he said the Web site is still very beneficial.
“It will certainly give me access with other people and the ability to share information,” Scott said. “The networking is the biggest advantage.”
One feature of the Web site is that it focuses on different areas than other social network sites like Facebook.
Harrison said the network wouldn’t be as “exploitative” as other networks heavily used by college students since people on the network would be trying to find a career rather than trying to find friends.
And Scott said he agreed.
“The more professional the network is I think you’re going to have more of an opportunity to connect with a company or constituent,” Scott said. “Networks like Facebook are pretty informal.”
Along with providing several networking and job benefits, Kickstart is also holding a contest to provide a college with $25,000. Yahoo plans to donate the money to the alumni association of the college with the most profiles by Dec. 31.
Thigpen said he sees the advantages of creating a Kickstart profile of his own.
“I would definitely create a profile,” Thigpen said. “It would be an interesting way to find out about careers I might be interested in by actually talking to people who have the jobs.”
