MYWORKSEARCH

MyWorkSearch provides comprehensive 24/7 'all you can eat' job seeking support online to the unemployed or those seeking a career change. Outplacement assistance is the commonly used term for the help provided to a person who has been made redundant and is seeking replacement employment. For many decades the process has been one where a consultant reviews with an individual his/her capabilities and then guides him/her through the challenges of the jobs market. For the past two years the U... K has experienced a weak economy and difficult jobs market. Large numbers of people have found themselves looking for work and due to the competition for each vacancy many of them have struggled. Some employers pay for outplacement assistance for individuals they make redundant and Jobcentre Plus also provides some help. However in both instances a human delivered model plus limited budgets mean that the help each person receives is token and typically woefully insufficient. Meanwhile vast numbers of people donâ€:tm:t even receive this minimal support. MyWorkSearch is a service that has transformed the outplacement model. Through smart use of technology the company provides online the entire assistance an individual requires. This delivery model means that the service is scalable, instantly meeting demand irrespective of numbers. It is also highly affordable, meaning that cost is no longer a barrier to access. Unlike conventional outplacement, provision is 24/7 ‘all you can eatâ€:tm:. Between launch in September 2009 and November 2010, MyWorkSearch has helped over 30,000 people. The company has achieved multi-million pound turnover and is highly profitable. In 2010 MyWorkSearch was the winner in the Startup Category at the LinkedIn European Business Awards and winner of the Microsoft BizSpark Fast Pitch. MyWorkSearch has combined seven core elements into a seamless and highly usable service. Any one of the elements is in its own rights useful, however the interactions accelerate the effectiveness. It is the fusion of e-learning with sophisticated software, the practical business model and convenient online delivery that combine to create a service that has helped thousands of people and within a handful of months created a new category in what had hitherto been regarded as a mature market. The MyWorkSearch components are: E-learning MyWorkSearch conveys useful job search related information in bite-sized pieces that a person can context-sensitively access as and when required. This e-learning comprises Flash, videos, audio, reading materials and check-lists in order to create appropriate and useful content in formats relevant to the need and the audience. The goal is to ensure that people from a wide range of backgrounds, seniority, experience and ages can swiftly find relevant and useful information that they can absorb and use. Tools There are many tasks that job-seekers need to complete in order to effectively manage their job search. MyWorkSearch designed and implemented a large number of tools to carry out the ‘heavy liftingâ€:tm: of a job search and these were built in conjunction with the e-learning. For example, e-learning would help a person understand transferable skills and how to communicate talent and achievements effectively on a CV. The CV Builder would capture this information from a person and then, with a few taps of the mouse, create a wide range of great-looking CVs using several methodologies (functional, chronological and consultancy). Users simply decide on the geographic locations they are interested in working in and the job titles and our vacancies search engine retrieves matching roles from all the major UK job boards and brings them to a single place within MyWorkSearch. Databases There are numerous resources available to job-seekers. MyWorkSearch contains databases of many thousands of recruitment agencies, employers, national, local and trade media as well as job boards. All are categorised and searchable. MyWorkSearch also enables a person to research an organisation prior to interview, obtaining published data including statutory accounts and filings. Activity management The e-learning explains the importance of having many irons in the fire and helps a person recognise the numerous sources of opportunities, from job boards to recruitment agencies to direct employers to newspapers to personal networking and sites such as LinkedIn. Managing this level of job search activity is a logistical challenge and MyWorkSearch has an activity management engine that tracks all that a user does and then schedules reminders for follow-up items. This is integrated with the e-learning so that helpful suggestions and advice are provided based upon a personâ€:tm:s actions and results. Reporting Since all activities are tracked, sophisticated reports can also be produced. This means that an individual can have the personal satisfaction of monitoring personal job search activity. It also means that the person can easily generate the information required by Jobcentre Plus when unemployment benefits are being claimed. Employers that are paying for the service can track usage and verify value. Webinars The included e-learning provides users with a wealth of knowledge on all aspects of job searching. However by its nature it is impersonal and does not provide the opportunity to ask questions. Webinars enable each user to tap into topics that are of particular interest and to interact with a live tutor, asking questions and receiving answers. Since webinars are one to many they fit the MyWorkSearch financial model in a way that 1:1 assistance does not. Analytics and segmented journeys One size does not fit all. By capturing user journeys the MyWorkSearch team can analyse the behaviours and design workflows that are triggered by a personâ€:tm:s actions and inactions. These workflows include context sensitive advice and guidance. Over time this database will allow ever more sophisticated analytics and the creation of powerful links between e-learning input and behaviour output.More