Gozaik , a free social web application for recent graduates and young professional job seekers that allows users to produce multimedia, mosaic-style resumes for Twitter, launches in Beta today. The platform makes all jobs tweeted searchable within their system, and enables users to apply for jobs via Gozaik's aggregated Twitter algorithm (employers can utilize the site to find candidates, too).
"There are two huge problems in the job market today," says Budzienski. "One is that recent graduates and young professionals seriously struggle to express how they'll be able add value to a work place, and with how to effectively market themselves -- especially in this economy where the competition is fierce. The other major issue is that tens of thousands of jobs are tweeted every day and there is no product that allows an easy 'apply to' option with a multimedia resume. It's easier and more convenient for a recruiter to reply to your tweet than to pick up the phone all day. Twitter facilitates the quickest response possible. Gozaik solves both of these problems, allowing a platform for young job seekers to express who they are and the skills they possess, using the social media know-how they've acquired, and employers to receive a quick, clear, accurate snapshot of who a candidate actually is through Twitter."
Gozaik currently has two patents pending; the technology of the first patent dissects, organizes, and structures the tens of thousands of jobs tweeted on a daily basis by employers, and allows users to directly apply to a tweeted job using their Gozaik resume, which is a series of mosaic-style tiles each displaying a part of them: an introductory video, education, skills, recommendations, photographs, art, awards, volunteer experiences, and social media handles.
Gozaik's second patent revolves around the ability to spotlight candidates and employers who are "trending" across locations and fields, based on certain data points within an algorithm. Candidates and jobs with the most activity trend within a user's or employer's dashboard, increasing the ability for both to get maximum exposure and help to foster an atmosphere of growth and competition among users.
With the technology showcased through the two patents, employers can use Gozaik to receive candidates through direct tweets or on their Gozaik Dashboard, and more easily locate the talent they're looking for.
Gozaik's team is a big believer in tapping into the power of Twitter to create a more successful hiring experience for job seekers and employers. Gozaik's philosophy is that since 24 percent of its demographic is on Twitter, there is a huge opportunity to link this exposure to finding jobs. "Every job seeker should be on Twitter, and every employer should tweet their jobs with us," Budzienski says. "Every Gozaik user will be able to see companies' jobs for free, and instantly apply to them. If companies don't have someone managing their Twitter feed, or paying attention to candidates applying through this method – now is a good time to start."
Gozaik aims to differentiate itself from other social job sites like LinkedIn, and sees itself as filling a different need for a different generation. "LinkedIn does networking very well – I use LinkedIn," Budzienski says. "But it's become too crowded for our demographic to navigate successfully." He observes that with over five million millennials unemployed, and their reports of finding it difficult to use LinkedIn, it's a clear sign younger job seekers need a different mode to navigate their job searching.
"In 2025, the number of college graduates, globally, is estimated to double to 225 million," notes Budzienski. "The traditional resume just isn't working for this generation. Gozaik provides them with a resume, yes – but a resume that really tells their unique story, and what value they'll bring to a company. In thirty seconds, a hiring manager can feel like she just had coffee with her next marketing assistant, graphic designer, financial analyst, or teacher. She can see that Candidate X is well-spoken, has a good sense of humor, has a great design sense, or whatever the case may be, in under a minute. That's powerful. And in today's world -- necessary."
Coming soon: the Gozaik mobile app, and an app designed for Facebook, which allows employers to search a candidate on social media and select their Gozaik app in order to view their credentials, while keeping the rest of their Facebook profile private. Gozaik is also developing systems to make college campus recruitment more cost-effective, eventually hosting social job conferencing that will allow recruitment efforts to take place online via group conversations and information sessions.
