Find your next job with the Tinder-like Switch app
A fast way to job search
It is a new twist on job searching, and it can eliminate a lot of the time-consuming leg work. Instead of searching for openings, crafting a unique cover letter for each opening and tweaking your resume for each company, all you have to do is swipe left or right.
Once candidate and employer both swipe right on each other, it's considered a match, and the job seeker or recruiter can reach out to each other using a chat function. It really is a lot like Tinder, except instead of dinner and a movie, you'll schedule a phone call and an interview.
The Switch app also imports data from your LinkedIn profile (similar to how Tinder is tied to a Facebook account), which eliminates the need to create a new resume for each job. It also makes the cover letter moot, since job seekers and recruiters can reach out to one another through a chat function.
According to data from Switch, the app has helped match job seekers with hiring managers at companies such as Facebook, Amazon, Imgur and AOL, just to name a few. The stats show that on the employer side, one out of every three "likes" on Switch will pull up a candidate. For job seekers, the stat is one in every 10 "likes" results in an employer match.
A personalized experience
Switch also brings a more personal touch to job searching, which can help you feel less like you are sending their resume out into the great unknown. Since employers and candidates both have to express interest in one another, a conversation can begin immediately, rather than muddling through HR and the online recruitment process.
At least, that was the case for one Switch user, Joe Graham. When his contract with his company was nearing an end, he turned to Switch to start his job search efforts. And it paid off, as he's now an engineer with eBay. He says the process was more personalized, and it allowed him to go past the barrier of HR and get in touch directly with a hiring manager.
The app also helped him keep his job search organized and efficient. "It was a pretty good recommendation engine, it seemed to match the skills to the job pretty well," says Graham, "it pushes you jobs every day, so you don't have to search and bookmark the ones that you applied to, and manage a list yourself."
And that's an important factor for anyone with limited time to job search. Within minutes -- maybe even seconds -- you can review a job description and decide if you are interested or not, then continue going about your day. It essentially means you can job search anywhere, and you will actually make more progress than simply saving listings to apply to when you get home.
The future of job searching
It's a unique take on job searching, no doubt. But it's still in its early stages, which means you probably won't find as many listings on Switch as you would on a typical job board. It's still worth taking a look at, since it certainly offers the potential to connect directly with major companies. And as its user base grows, so will the number of job listings on the app.
Fewer job listings also points to the focus on quality, rather than quantity. Employers go through an onboarding process, and companies that have gone through the vetting process receive an Employer Profile Card. Employer Profile Cards offer users more in-depth information about the company for each posting.
Switch's platform is especially ideal for job seekers who already have a job, and might want to casually test the waters or hunt quietly. Of course, it's also a simple and effective way for those without a job to add one more tool into their job search kit. The app is currently available only for iOS, but Switch says an Android version is coming soon.