This is a guest blog post by job hunter Sally Lawton.
Company: Jiibe.com
Slogan: Company culture
Pros: Empowers the job seeker; Learn more about what YOU want in a job
Cons: Limited sample size; Can’t search geographically; Company write-ups a bit stale
Finding the right job is a lot like finding the right partner. So what happens when you take a job classifieds site like Monster and smash it headfirst into a matchmaking site like eHarmony? Jiibe.com is born.
Jiibe.com’s defining characteristic is a lengthy personality quiz that examines 18 ‘critical factors’ of employment. By asking questions that compare your current company’s culture to your ideal company’s culture, Jiibe promises to scientifically match you to your next employer. By the end of the compatibility quiz, users will know which cultural characteristics are important to them, and which companies value the same characteristics.
Once a ‘match’ is selected, users can then read more about the company, see if there are any job openings, and even reach out to other Jiibe users currently employed there to get the real scoop.
Examples of questions Jiibe asks users include: Does your current manager stay positive under stress?; Are you encourage to take risks?; What is the level of gossip at your current job?
Be getting a peek into what you currently deal with at work – and your feelings about it – both Jiibe and the user get a snapshot of what works and what doesn’t.
By thinking in terms of what a job seeker wants in a company rather than what an employer wants in a candidate, Jiibe stands the traditional job search model on its head. Jiibe not only gives power to the job seeker, it makes company-targeted networking a cinch.
Because Jiibe gathers information about companies from its users, it can only provide information about employers that users have contributed. However, as Jiibe grows, this limitation should diminish. Another drawback is that users cannot limit their job searches by city. After an hour of answering the quiz, it was a bit disappointing to see a lengthy list of companies with locations half way across the country.
While Jiibe has some frustrating elements, it has incredible potential, and seemingly, so do online matchmakers looking to find love between the job seeker and the employer. Jiibe’s success relies heavily on user-generated content. If they beef up their inventory of information, they will continue to attract users. By requiring companies to meet certain qualifications, Jiibe might even change the way people look for jobs.
I intend to keep an eye on the site as I push forward with my own job search, and hope that Jiibe matches me to a company in my city.
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