Can "Liking" A Company on Facebook Help Your Job Search?

Starbucks is planning to expand and open 1,300 new stores next year, but if you'd like to get a job with the coffe giant, first log on to Facebook. 

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The national chain has unvieled a new system called Branch Out that will let potential applicants search for jobs using their social netowrks, according to a report in the St. Louis Business Journal.

The system takes the form of an app on the Starbucks Facebook page that lets users browse open positions by location, but it's also a promotional effort with videos about what it's like to work at Starbucks and links to info about the company's benefits. 

The journal cites a Seattle-based tech blog from one of its sister publications called TechFlash, which talked to Sara Parker, a member of Starbuck's employment brand team. 

"It makes it easy for candidates and partner to find out about career opportunties," Parker told Techflash. 

The move aims to help a generation of candidates who have now grown up with social media to leverage their online connections while making it easy for Starbucks to instantly share openings with its 32 million Facebook fans.

Starbucks has two locations in Town and Country and Manchester.

Have you used social media to find a job or to help you secure one? How do you use your social media connections to help in your job search? Let us know in the comments section below.