Good News for Jobseekers, Now an App that helps you land your dream job!

Jobseekers is an out of browser application that runs on Microsoft Silverlight that teaches you all necessary language skills and mannerisms to land your dream job. We at YourStory.in caught up with Rony, founder & CEO of Avon Mobility, creators of Jobseekers app.How exactly does the app Jobseekers work? Tell us in detail.

Jobseekers follows four characters, Neha, Arun, Farah and Rohit, as they learn how to tackle job applications and interviews and present themselves in the best possible light to potential employers. In the first episode, they meet an enigmatic and knowledgeable gentleman who agrees to help them in their search for employment. Together they try to realise their dreams of becoming young professionals. Each character seeks a job in a different sector: food and retail, hospitality and the call centre industry. Rohit’s case is a little more unusual as he has decided to follow his dreams to become a Bollywood star.

By following the story, learners are introduced to key skills to enhance their employability, such as writing a successful letter of application, improving the format and content of their CV and answering difficult interview questions. The whole series is segregated into 13 units with 7 chapters under each unit. The last chapter of each unit is a self-evaluating test with questions from the particular chapter. This helps the learners assess their progress.

The lessons are packaged into video cards and each video card contains an instalment in the story following the four Jobseekers, with a specific focus on three or four focused vocabulary items. The audio also provides models of clear pronunciation with a focus on difficult sounds and intonation patterns. The language content is aimed at pre-intermediate level learners of English; however the input on employability skills is relevant to all.

How did you come up with the idea?

The idea was conceived by British Council. We have signed an agreement with British Council in the presence of Sir Vernon Ellis, Chair of the British Council to develop mobile based learning products. Jobseekers is the first initiative of this association and more interesting products are in the pipeline.

How is the course priced?

The whole course comprises of 90 lessons and is priced at Rs.90. The payment is done online or by cheque, and the application and content is delivered over the internet.

How has the adoption been so far?

The knowledge about the availability of this application is not widespread yet, but every individual who has subscribed to the service has expressed the usefulness and effectiveness of the application.

What is your background prior to starting up Jobseekers?

I started as a programmer and moved into management. I spent most of my early career days in South East Asia working for a Singapore IT company and moved to India to start my own venture.

How are you marketing the offering?

The product is available through internet, telecoms, mobile app stores and CDs. The product is available for Tata Docomo users and we are in talks with all other leading telecos to launch Jobseekers with them. Jobseekers will shortly be available for Android and Windows phone users. The lessons can be bought as CDs directly from us or through our various distributors. We are just starting the marketing process and the existing users have all come in through the various write ups about Jobseekers published in all leading newspapers and also through few local publications. I’m sure with our association with telecos and online marketplaces, we should be able to take the product to millions.

How are you funded?

A couple of our friends have put their personal money into Avon Mobility to get us started.

What are your challenges as an entrepreneur at the intersection of technology & education?

Technology in the education industry has created many opportunities, especially in the mobile learning space. This growth is fueled by three distinct innovations happening at the same time . First is technology (Mobile devices & WiFi/GPRS networks), Second is online marketplaces where consumers can buy products/services with ease, and third is the plethora of quality content providers. The coming together of these three factors has created an opportunity to innovate and create exciting products. I guess it’s an exciting time to be in the mobile learning space.

Please visit Jobseekers for further details! Also, Education enthusiasts, do stay tuned for Edustars, a YourStory.in initiative in association with Accel Partners to recognize India’s best Education Startups.