Yahoo! Kickstart 4

Yahoo! Kickstart is Yahoo's newest social networking play. The easiest way to understand it is as a LinkedIn for college kids to help them connect to alumni who can help them find a job.

Students building profiles are coached to keep the party pictures out, so that they present the most professional image possible.

The idea is a strong one, and my early impressions of the site are positive. It's clean, simple, and easy to use.

As an alumni, all you need to do is to post what kind of recruits you're looking for (interns, full time, etc.) and the details of your degrees. Kickstart does the rest, immediately providing links to others who attended the same schools as you.

The key for Kickstart will be their ability to pull alumni into the network. Alumni have access to jobs, and that access to jobs will pull the students in.

I'm rooting for Yahoo to have a success here - they're due.