Applying for a job using social network information

Abstract

Systems and methods for displaying a user interface object associated with a job candidate's social networking site proximate to a job listing presented by a website are described. When a job candidate selects the user interface object, the systems and methods identify and/or obtain information associated with the job candidate that is located or otherwise stored at the social networking site of which the job candidate is a member. Once the information is identified and/or obtained, the systems and methods provide the information to the website, such as to a job application submission system associated with the website.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, via a user interface object presented by a website, input associated with a request to apply for an available job displayed by the website;   retrieving information associated with a job candidate from a social networking site that includes the job candidate as a member; and   providing the retrieved information associated with the job candidate to the website.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein retrieving information associated with the job candidate from a social networking site that includes the job candidate as a member includes retrieving profile information associated with the job candidate. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein retrieving information associated with the job candidate from a social networking site that includes the job candidate as a member includes retrieving social graph information associated with the job candidate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein retrieving information associated with the job candidate from a social networking site that includes the job candidate as a member includes retrieving reference information associated with the job candidate. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving information directly from the job candidate; and   providing the received information along with the retrieved information to the website.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a document directly from the job candidate; and   providing the received document along with the retrieved information to the website.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 presenting the retrieved information associated with the job candidate to the job candidate via another user interface object;   receiving input from the job candidate associated with the presented information; and   providing a modified version of the retrieved information to the website based on the input received from the job candidate.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface object is presented by the website within a javascript platform supported by the website. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein retrieving information associated with the job candidate from a social networking site that includes the job candidate as a member includes:
 submitting to the social networking site a request to obtain information associated with the job candidate, wherein the request includes an identifier for the job candidate; and   receiving a link from the social networking site that identifies a location in which the information associated with the job candidate is stored.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving, via a user interface object presented by the website, input associated with a request to apply for an available job displayed by the website includes receiving an indication that the job candidate has selected the user interface object. 
     
     
         11 . A system for providing information associated with a member of a social networking site to a third party site, the system comprising:
 a script module, wherein the script module is configured to transfer profile or social graph information associated with the member to a third party site that requests information associated with the member via a script running on the third party site; and   an information module, wherein the information module is configured to locate the profile or social graph information associated with the member at the social networking site.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the information module is configured to receive an identifier for the third party site and locate the profile or social graph information associated with the member at the social networking site that is based at least in part of the received identifier. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the information module is configured to locate information associated with previous employment and education of the member. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the information module is configured to locate information associated with other members within a common social graph of the member. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the information module is configured to locate information associated with other members within a common social graph of the member that are associated with an attribute identifying the third party site. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the third party site is a job listing site, and wherein the script running on the third party site is configured to display a user-selectable button proximate to at least one job listing presented by the job listing site. 
     
     
         17 . A computer-readable storage medium whose contents, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method for transmitting information associated with a job candidate to a job listing server, the method comprising;
 displaying a user interface object proximate to a job listing presented by a website associated with a job listing server;   receiving input associated with a selection of the user interface object via a job candidate;   obtaining information associated with the job candidate from a social networking site that includes the job candidate as a member;   presenting the obtained information to the job candidate via website;   receiving input from the job candidate associated with an acceptance of the presented information; and   transferring the presented information to the job listing server.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 receiving information directly from the job candidate; and   transferring the presented information and the directly received information to the job listing server.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 before displaying the user interface object, determining one or more attributes associated with the job candidate match one or more attributes associated with the job listing; and   displaying the user interface object in response to the determination.