My name is Jeff and I currently work for a company that makes high end aluminum truck boxes, flatbeds, service bodies etc. We are growing, so management set out to hire more experienced aluminum welders (this is in Southern Oregon so there's isn't a huge pool of experienced aluminum welders to pull from). We did get many people responding to our Craigslist ad, but when they were given a test, most of them couldn't weld aluminum with anywhere near the skill that they claimed they could.
I am in their sales department, but I'm also an entrepreneur and I saw this as a problem that I wanted to solve. I am working with a couple of people who know HR and web design and we are putting together a site that will connect employers anywhere in the world with the trades people they really need.
This is where I need your help! We are going to offer employment seekers a profile which will allow you to show off your skills and experience and not just a resume. We will offer you a chance to make and upload a video of you doing your craft, live, and explaining what you are doing in technical terms. This will give remote (it could be from Detroit to Oregon and not just internationally) employers the opportunity to see you in action and be able to judge your skills from your actual work instead of an application or resume.
You will also be able to upload pictures of your previous work and send an email from the system to current or former employers or G.C.'s that you've worked for who will post a referral for you. You will also be able to use a system of check boxes that will outline your skill in each of the disciplines of your trade and how many years you have experience in each discipline. This will give you a score so you will know where you rank amongst other candidates in your trade. Employers will be able to see your score, video, pictures and reference links and have a much better idea of what kind of fit you will be for their company. The website will be free to job seekers.
I'm on this board to find out from you, what other kinds of things can we do to help you show off your skills and experience? What else can we offer in your profile to help you stand out from all of the other tradesmen out there? Any information or advice you can offer will only make this site easier for tradespeople to find their ultimate job anywhere in the world. I look forward to hearing from as many of you as possible. Thanks in advance.
Jeff Williams
jsw_548@hotmail.com
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