iPhone and Google's Android have opened a whole heap of opportunities for organisations of all sizes. Many web applications now already exist on iPhone for instance Facebook and Twitter are leading the race in grabbing as many mobile Internet users as possible. The recruitment market is not far behind with job board apps on The iPhone like The IT Job Board, UK based IT job-board. Many recruiters are actively using email and now twitter as a way of communication with their customers. Although more and more so recruitment organisations are looking at innovative ways of serving their customers. One such opportunity is Augmented Reality.

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality refers to mixing real world environment with the virtual world in real time. So for instance if you were walking through a museum with a headphone and screen educating you about various artifacts, perhaps with some engaging audio/video, that would be an example of Augmented reality. Below is an example of how this can be used for London Underground:

Augmented reality has made it’s way into Android and iPhone 3Gs, which provide an easy way to navigate areas and get rich data associated with it. There are quiet a few examples of augmented reality applications, from house searching to information on monuments and buildings, to amenities around an area. In all the examples augmented reality apps, show multimedia information related to the area, so users can get a better understanding.

In fact augmented reality apps combine map functionality with compass and camera to understand user’s position and orientation. In the future we will see more applications, which will make better use of the augmented reality technology. Some apps to look at in the augmented reality space are Layar, Augmented Reality browser, which enriches data from other applications like Foursquare, Flickr etc.

Recruitment Industry

Recruitment industry has the added advantage of working with various verticals. Most sectors use recruitment professionals for hiring staff, many of whom place positions on job boards to advertise the vacancy. Job boards are great to get information to users, especially when looking for high value jobs. Although in the case of individuals looking for temporary or retail jobs, it often makes sense to just walk on the High Street looking for job availabilities on doors.

Augmented reality can make this process even easier by allowing users to find jobs on their screens as they walk around the High Street. This opportunity is not limited to retailers, other industries can also utilise this feature. For instance if a management consultant is looking for a job in the city, instead of going to a job board, where only some of the jobs are available, they can get access to all the jobs, based in a certain radius, each of which pointing to the company's headquarter.

Benefits

Augmented reality has the advantage of connecting real life with social media insight. Augmented reality is fast, convenient and natural to us. It provides us with the opportunity to connect physical space with relevant information. A bit like, how tourist get a handheld device with running commentary when touring a city.

The possibilities are endless. We just have to wait for a major player to now integrate this with their job board!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Layar to Bring Augmented Reality to the Masses With Mysterious New Phone Partner (mashable.com)
• Augmented Reality Vs. Virtual Reality: Which One Is More Real? (matei.org)
• Top 6 Augmented Reality Mobile Apps [Videos] (mashable.com)