Psychology studies have found that first impressions are formed within seven to 17 seconds of meeting someone. That puts even more pressure on all kinds of interactions, from first dates to job interviews. But at least young professionals will have some help in the latter category, thanks to a new platform called TalentWorks.
Led by the former engineering leader of Amazon and founder of Vittana, Kushal Chakrabarti, the company just emerged with $2.4 million in funding from Lowercase Capital (a backer of Uber and Instagram) and other notable investors. The service promises to land job interviews for users, who pay $10 per week, based on individual qualifications and interests. Included in the platform are a resume optimizer, application analyzer, and human hiring manager to help applicants find a job.
Although it’s still in its infancy, the service is already making its own positive impression. Its software can scan more than 50,000 jobs in 400 cities just in a single day. So far, it’s optimized 57,000 resumes and analyzed more than 24 million jobs. And in the month of May alone, 71% of recent graduates using the service secured an interview within two weeks of use. It’s also guaranteed to work: should a user not get an interview after 60 days of using the service, they’ll have their subscription fees refunded.
In an official press release, Chakrabarti explained:
“The job search is a numbers game. But little changes in how job seekers present themselves can dramatically increase their odds of winning an interview. Networking takes time, money, and connections. For many, those are out-of-reach luxuries. Instead of who someone knows (or doesn’t know), we can help them shine based on what they know. On average, our algorithms can help most people get an interview after 10-15 applications.”
Rather than having to rely on a system that works against underrepresented groups, Chakrabarti says that the TalentWorks service will help illuminate what really matters in job candidates.
“We’ve built sophisticated AI algorithms to surface the things that really matter to people but are often hidden behind complex, corporate HR-speak; fair salary, required qualifications, competition, to name a few,” Chakrabarti told GeekWire.
According to the TalentWorks website, nearly half of all 20-somethings are underemployed. While it’s still early, it’s possible that having an affordable way to at least secure that first interview may go a long way for many recent college graduates.