Xing thing promises ladder to bling

The site, which allows members to network with prospective employees and colleagues, has opened up a new wing of its site: Xing Marketplace. The Marketplace will use the site's job opening category, and will allow members to choose to receive "selected job suggestions."

Unlike networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook, the overall aim isn't to make friends or feel e-popular, but to get on those elusive career ladders.

Marketplace will let posters have the option of letting postings be seen via Google, thereby increasing coverage range for the advert. Another feature is the "recommendation" option, where users can forward interesting jobs to fellow Xingsters.

The Marketplace is in beta at the moment - which, you boring sod, you can try to sign up for here - so a limited number of testers are being invited. In the future, Xing plans to open up the market to include services and real estate.

So, if you're the type that aspires to be more like this man, no doubt a popular Xingster, you'd better head on over and have a gander. µ