Jobscan recently surpassed one million users. From a numbers standpoint, that’s really exciting! However, it means so much more than the numbers (and the bragging rights!).
That’s one million stories that include Jobscan and one million job searchers who have found their next step using our tools. It’s one million people who have started a whole new chapter of their lives. And we take that responsibility extremely seriously.
In this post, we share Jobscan’s origin story, where we are now, and some stories from others who have found their next job using our tools.
How it started
If you’ve used Jobscan’s tools, then you most likely know the grueling process of job searching. This process takes thick skin, creativity, and the ability to trudge forward despite (most likely) a slew of rejections.
Our founder and CEO, James Hu, is no stranger to how tough this process can be. In October 2013, he found himself out of a job and on his way back from Asia, where he had been the co-founder of a carpooling startup. He then faced eight months of unemployment during this time.
However, also during this time, Hu tried to hone his skills but still couldn’t land his next role. That’s when he took to his keyboard and researched how resumes are handled once they are submitted. With this new knowledge in hand, he decided to focus his attention into tailoring keywords.
But manually tailoring keywords to each resume is extremely time-consuming, Hu realized. As a techie, he knew there had to be an easier, more efficient way to accomplish this.
And that’s how the idea for Jobscan originated.
How it’s going
Jobscan now has several tools to help job searchers secure their next role.
We of course have our resume optimization tool, which analyzes your resume against a specific job description. It breaks down the match rate, ATS findings, recruiter findings, skills match, and premium format checks (elements such as page size and bold font).
There’s also the free resume builder, which walks you through creating your resume. All you need to do is choose an ATS-friendly template, fill out the simple forms with your information, and our tool will format everything for you so you can print and submit your resume to your potential employers.
Our power edit tool helps job searchers know if they are on the right track with their resume in real time. As they fill in their resume, job searchers receive real-time scoring as well as keyword optimization information and formatting advice.
The LinkedIn optimization tool scores your LinkedIn against a job description to ensure your profile portrays you as the right fit for the role.
When Hu and co-founder Michael Lee first started really diving in with Jobscan, they took up shop in cafes around Seattle. In fact, they kept a running Google Sheet featuring the different cafes, along with information about these cafes’ temperature, number of outlets, wifi speed and free parking availability.
Now, Jobscan’s employees work in a beautiful Seattle office (pre-COVID) or remotely throughout the country. However, to our knowledge, no one else has kept as meticulous of a Google Sheet with cafe outlet information.
We’ve also added a few—or, several—teammates along the way, each dedicated to helping job searchers find their next opportunity. You can meet our team here.
How it’s helping
While a lot has changed throughout the years, our dedication to helping job searchers find their next step has not.
Below, we share a few stories about those who have done just that, using Jobscan’s tools.
Dwight Gartmon, a freelance music composer for film and TV, applied to more than 50 jobs and received only a few interview opportunities. After some research, he found Jobscan’s online resume tool.
“Jobscan provided me with the best advice I could’ve received on how to properly tailor my resume for job applications,” Gartmon said.
After using the resume tool, he immediately landed two job interviews and was finally hired.
Rusty, a Jobscan user from Denver, Colorado, also experienced how brutal the job search can feel. With 30 years of real-life leadership experience as a former military pilot, a brand new business degree from an acclaimed university, and an abundance of charisma, Rusty applied to 300 jobs over five months. He received no responses—not even one.
However, he started using Jobscan’s scan tool and finally broke through that barrier
“Lo and behold, where probably 300 [resumes] went unanswered, I started getting immediate action,” he said.
He soon started his new job in Cybersecurity, which merged his technical experience, leadership, and his new degree.
Jobscan has also helped those looking to change their career fields, such as Amy, who is also from Denver, Colorado. Amy worked in telecommunications until she was laid off.
While she searched for her next opportunity, she realized she wanted a more artistic career. She used Jobscan to find a way to align her current skills—and ones she hoped to learn in the future—with job descriptions. The tool also enabled her to see which applications weren’t worth her time and effort.
“I just did the audit and said ‘This isn’t worth my thirty minutes to an hour to do.’ Next!” Amy said.
Through this process, she was able to find that stepping stone between telecommunications and her more artistic future career.
Within 30 days, she landed her next, more artistic role.
We’re so proud of how Jobscan has helped more than 1 million job searchers. See how it can help you!
