There’s now a free app available that allows job seekers to browse through available employment opportunities in their area the same way Tinder works for online dating. Switch, which is available for iOS devices (Android coming soon), is the newest way millennials can find jobs related to their work experience without going through the hassle of filling out online forms or writing a cover letter.
Using the app is actually very simple. To create an account, you can log in through your Facebook or LinkedIn account. The app will then take your job history and apply that to your profile along with your current profile picture. (Go with your LinkedIn account if you have one.) However, your picture and your name will remain unseen for the moment. You then type in your email address and create your password to finish setting up your account.
Once this is done, you can work on editing your profile to best represent your work history, education, location, job function, industry, and your skills. These keywords will be used to find relevant jobs near your set location. Once everything is set up the way you’d like it, simply save and get ready to see what jobs are near you.
From there, the app works the same way Tinder does. Each day you’ll get a number of open job opportunities. Swipe left if you’re not interested or swipe right if you are. Employers will then be able to do the same with the pool of candidates who meet the job requirements. If the employer and the applicant are interested in one another, then more information is revealed, like your name and picture. This also opens up communications so employers and job seekers can start chatting or emailing directly, already knowing there’s a mutual interest.
There is no resume to download, no cover letter, and no worries that your current employer will find you through the app. Switch takes care not to show your profile to the companies listed as your current employers.
The functionality is simple enough, but the results will vary depending on what you’re looking for and where you are. Having tested out the app myself, I’ve found it can be hit or miss.
As Switch is relatively new, there aren’t job postings for every career in every industry for every location. It is possible not to have any results appear once you create your profile. To fix this, try changing your location to the nearest city or major town in your area. As of June 2015, cities like Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Seattle, and Austin, Texas were covered through the app with more being added as word spreads.
Millennials should also keep in mind that the app is mainly geared towards tech and media jobs. While other companies are joining Switch as the success of the app grows, careers outside these two fields may be few and far between in some areas. You may need to keep checking back for new additions.
It’s also not available for Android yet, although they are working on it. No release date has been given so far.
As millennials are looking for faster, more efficient ways to do things, it makes sense to have an app that speeds up the job search process. By not having to stop to write cover letter after cover letter or change your resume to better resonate with a particular job, you can show interest in more jobs in a shorter time frame.
Overall, it’s a great idea that is bound to become more popular as time goes on, but is entirely dependent on the companies who choose to post ads through Switch. Once there is more variety in the careers posted and more businesses become a part of the community, then Switch will truly become a great job search engine like its predecessors Careerbuilder and Indeed. Until then, millennials should use the Switch app, but still utilize other job search engines to increase their chances of finding the perfect job. Who knows? That perfect job could be one right swipe away.
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