Manpower announces the worldwide celebration of the company’s one-year anniversary in Second Life. The celebration kicked-off with a multi-media convening of virtual world gurus on Manpower Island to reflect on the ways leading brands can attract a creative and diverse pool of talent and leverage virtual worlds to further real-world social responsibility programs.
Virtual worlds were initially viewed as a creative escape, but now many people are taking them more seriously. Avatars of prominent collaborators who participated in Manpower’s celebration included Philip Rosedale, Founder of Second Life, George Kell, Executive Director for the United Nations Global Compact, Lynda Applegate, Distinguished Professor at Harvard Business School, Rita King, Carnegie Council Fellow, among others.
Thousands have visited Manpower Island, and typical visitors average nine years of work experience, hail from more than 50 countries and speak more than 40 languages. The most frequent question asked by avatars visiting the Island is, “How can I get a job in the virtual world?”
As part of the month-long celebration, held on Manpower Island, the company has released several machinima videos and a special report on the Power of Collaboration, which highlights lessons learned in Second Life, and the potential for virtual world programs to further social responsibility efforts. The event replay / highlights, videos and report are available at http://www.manpower.com/SecondLife
Manpower Island was developed as a place where job seekers, employers and entrepreneurs can come together in an interactive forum to learn about and explore the World of Virtual Work. The island features a variety of virtual work resources, including an orientation trail to teach “newbies” how to move around, interact and teleport around Second Life; and a series of work-related stations offering advice on creating a virtual resume, preparing for both Real Life and Second Life job interviews, obtaining appropriate attire and finding a job in the virtual world. Manpower Island is staffed by full-time Manpower employees who maneuver avatars and welcome visitors to the Island, personally answering questions about Manpower and the World of Virtual Work.
Second Life (http://www.secondlife.com) is an online virtual community where residents live and work in a variety of 3D environments. An avatar is a person’s digital altar-ego; a machinima is a computer-generated three-dimensional film.
To join the Manpower Month long Second Life Party Click here.
