TWO young entrepreneurs are mixing the world of professional and social networking with an online recruitment service for internet-savvy employers and jobseekers.

Oliver Cowie, a 25-year-old former Newcastle United youth player and his cousin, 22-year-old Aaron Knox, came up with the idea for the one-stop site called Kocanuts.com.

The North Shields-based business is a cross between social networking sites like Facebook and online job boards, allowing employers to gain a better impression of candidates via their job-seeking profiles. Members can upload their own portfolios, videos and pictures to their virtual CVs, while recruiters can post aptitude tests and pre-interview candidates online before putting both parties through the expense of an interview.

Members will also be able to post their own experiences about working at different companies around the UK and use the site for professional and social networking.

Mr Cowie said: “We’ve turned the traditional, one-dimensional ‘us’ and ‘them’ method of recruitment on its head by offering a more open, effective, efficient solution that not only saves money for people, but really does reflect the way we live and work today.”