Cell phones and job-hunting

According to the article below, Londoners are taking to cell phones in their job hunt. They question is why? Other than browsing a list of jobs, you still wont be able to send your resume or fill in a application. Europeans have always been a step ahead of U.S. in mobile phone usage. I guess this is just a natural outgrowth of that.

What would be really cool is if job boards were able to text job alerts to your cell phone.

Mobile phones find new use as job-hunting aids

January 26, 2007 by Charlie McCathie

LONDON - Mobile phones are increasingly used as a career finding tool, according to recent research.

As many as 6% of all mobile searches were for jobs and recruitment consultants just before Christmas 2006, according to MobilePeople's Mobile Search Trends 2006 European study. According to the collated report, the overall number of mobile searches conducted during 2006 grew tenfold on the previous year, and the top 20 searches generated 80% of the entire search volume. The data also revealed the top mobile search categories before and during the festive period. Taxis came in top of the list as people struggled to get home after a night out, while the most popular brands searches were for Ikea and Toys R Us. The searches peaked on December 24 with a rush on consumer electronics searches, and again on December 27. Eden Zoller, principal analyst at Ovum's consumer practice, said: "The combination of 3G networks and improved device capabilities means that mobile search is getting faster and easier. "It is becoming something people want to try and, as the survey highlights, comes into its own when people are time constrained, on the move and need something quickly." Jens Andersen, CEO and co-founder of MobilePeople, said: "It is evident that consumers are warming up to the idea of searching on mobiles. Who would have thought a year ago about looking for a job on their mobile?