JAM magazine has just launched Jobokplease.com. A job site whose USP is opportunities for students and fresh graduates.True, there are many job sites in the market - and they do a great job. But if you are a young person looking for a part-time/ freelance or summer job, these sites don't necessarily serve your needs.
Similarly, if you're an employer looking for this variety of bright young workers, you may not find them through traditional avenues. I get a lot of requests from friends and clients who need 'a smart kid for a project'. Or ' not an MBA, just a sharp fresh graduate.' And there are so many young people out there looking for such a break. So why not provide a platform where they can connect?
Well, over the years, we have been providing this platform - in the print medium.
Way back in 1995, JAM magazine pioneered the concept of 'Summer Internships'. This was much before working in summer was fashionable or considered desirable. The idea of summer internships was to tie up with 8-10 leading companies and place very bright and motivated young people there for a 1 or 2 month period.
Some of the companies which I offhand recall participating in JAM's summmer internship program include HLL, TV18, rediff.com, Sony Music, Leo Burnett, Euro RSCG and Midday. I know of at least four young people for whom JAM's summer internship was a life-changing experience. A would-be engineer became a journalist. A hotel management student shifted to advertising!
Cut to 2007. We are providing the same platform, but on a much bigger scale. We will be using JAM's clout as a youth medium to attract students to jobs. And we hope to attract a wider variety and quality of jobs than is commonly available. Both the kind where one can earn some extra pocket money. And the kind which provide you valuable 'exposure and experience'.
From the many categories we've listed - and the kind of jobs the site has started attracting already, I think we're on the right track.
If you are a company or entrepreneur looking for young talent I invite you to try out jobokplease.com. Job postings are FREE till 1st April 2007.
We also look forward to your valuable user feedback. The site is a plain-vanilla format right now, more features and some content will be added on in some time.
Lastly, thanks to Gautam Ghosh, for being the first (even before me!) to write about Jobokplease. Like film stars cutting open the ribbon for a jewellery showroom, it's only appropriate that an HR specialist should be the first to review a job site!
