Teen-Jobz.com, a website founded by Carleton student Corey Sauvé that brings jobs to young people’s virtual doorsteps, had a grand opening last week.
The website targets 13 to 25-year-olds searching for jobs and employers with a demand for young workers, Sauvé said, a second-year criminology major. The site has already attracted over 600 employees and 100 employers.
“I thought, there’s Monster Jobs and Workopolis, why isn’t there a website for teens and youth to get jobs?” Sauvé said.
The website works by asking prospective employees and employers to fill out a mandatory survey with different criteria for what they want. Available hours, field of work and personality are all taken into account.
Then a search engine generates a list of compatible options based on percentage — a matchmaking system.
“It’s an efficient way for employers to search for employees and vice versa because they don’t have to waste their time searching through resumes or jobs that don’t fit what they’re looking for,” Sauvé said.
The questionnaire is one aspect of a member’s profile. Employers can also view applicants’ resumes, and members can request interviews with one another.
For youth, the website is free. Employers pay a membership fee Sauvé said is 10 times less than its adult-oriented competitors.
Non-profit organizations are the exception. “We decided to give back,” Sauvé said. “We don’t accept their money.”
Although the website has been accessible since August, Jan. 10 marked what Sauvé called “the grand opening,” or the day the website became fully operational.
It is also the day Teen-Jobz.com launched its advertising campaign, which spans radio stations, Facebook, Twitter and OC Transpo buses.
However, frequent OC Transpo riders may have noticed ads on buses back in October. “Four months ago, they made a mistake and sent out the ads way too early,” Sauvé said.
The ads were removed after two days but he said the mishap resulted in “huge positive feedback.” Within that 48-hour time span, about 200 employees signed up, he said.
“I had been told all along that the potential for it was very big. It’s a necessity. People aged 13 to 25 need jobs too,” Sauvé said, noting that they are often “forgotten about.”
Since the grand opening, Sauvé said hundreds of youth have signed on as new members and 40 to 50 jobs are now posted online.
“I joined the site last week,” said Sebastian Saikaley, a third-year political science major. “I need a new job and this is an easier way to find one.”
In the next month, Sauvé said Teen-Jobz.com will expand to 11 cities across Canada, including Halifax, Toronto and Vancouver.
Their marketing team is expected to appear at Carleton’s summer job fair, which is set to take place Jan. 26.