31
Aug 2003
DELIVERING
JOB ALERTS OVER CELL-PHONES
Kartavya/Abhi/Sanjeev/Nirmit/Raju/Sriram,
In
internet world (of e-commerce), if you are not one step ahead of competitors
then you are two steps behind them.
In
my recent note on “positioning of Recruitguru, I talked of
· Carving
out a brand new “territory” totally different from that of Monster/naukri etc.
· Create
a new ‘Industry –standard” as for as image Builder is concerned
· Set
our own “rules” of the game.
· Not
to take our battle to Monster/Naukri’s territory.
· Create
a whole new set of “Allies/Affiliates/Partners” either for content creation or
for delivery of our content enclosed chart & news cuttings must be read in
this perspective (of wanting to differentiate recruitguru from the likes of
Monster/Naukri).
Today
Monster/naukri are delivering job alerts as emails over internet/desktop once a
day?
Then
the recipient logs into concerned website browses the Job-advt. & may
“apply online” if he has already deposited his resume earlier.
This
is the TRADITIONAL method used by all jobsites including 3Pjobs.com in past. In
fact we wore the pioneers in India!
If
by now, 3Pjobs.com had grown even half the size of Naukri/Monster, then we
would think ten times (not just twice) before jettisoning/ditching this method
of job alert!
If
would be too much of a risk to make a sudden course correction to switch over
to an altogether different new
· Delivery
Mechanism
· Device
Fortunately
for us, 3Pjobs.com remained an insignificant player amongst India jobsites. All
those, who came much later, overtook 3Pjobs.com (in terms of no. of
resumes/revenues etc.)
So
much so that some 8/10 months ago we decided to remove all candidate related
& customer related “Services” from 3Pjobs.com (job posting/Resume
posting/job search/Resume Search).
So,
3Pjobs.com is not even in the running (by self-volition) as far as
monster/Naukri etc. is concerned.
So
recruitguru does not carry any historical baggage, any legacy. It is not
hand-bound by what 3Pjobs did in the past. It is a clean break (internally) and
as far as outside world is concerned, there is no “connection” between 3Pjobs
& recruitguru.
This
gives recruitguru a lot of “freedom” of movement / action / innovation /
experimentation.
Recruitguru
does NOT have to worry about any “fall out” (of such an experimentation) on any
existing “customer base, because it has no existing customers!
And
that experiment should be such that it enables recruitguru to leapfrog
monster/Naukri and came out a virgin territory.
And
I firmly believe that experiment is to deliver job alerts as SMS on
cell-phones. Something which monster/Naukri do not seem to have attempted so
far (but tomorrow, they can!)
In
the enclosed chart I have put forward my arguments in favour of this proposal.
A
cell phone job alert has an element of “instant gratification” no matter where
you happen to be. You are not tied to a desk a PC, an internet connection. You
are not “tethered” by a wire.
An
executive may find it inconvenient to log into his “private mailbox” during
office hours but it is quit different with a SMS. It is so convenient and so
“private” (even if you are sitting in front of your boss or with 5 colleagues
in a meeting).
And
an sms does not cause you any inconvenience, even if you are travelling to
another city.
And
cell phone as a “medium” as an internet Access Device” is going grow 10 TIMES
as fast as a PC! Soon 20 TIMES!
We
can ill-afford to ignore this device and this delivery mechanism where
computers & tele-communications are going to CONVERGE.
It
is not going to be a PC but a cell phone which is going to be the device of
CHOICE for the young generation. We can ignore it at our own period!
So,
in next 4 years 100 million Indians would want an USEFUL content delivered to
them on their cell-phones.
And,
Some
8/10 national SERVICE-PROVIDERS would desperately look for such an useful
content, from content providers!
And,
if “Job-alert” is such an USEFUL content which cell-phone owners want and
service-providers want then recruitguru is ideally placed to deliver it!
And
the obvious implication is that these 100 million cell-phone owners would have
to first SUBMIT their resume to recruitguru!
And
if job-alert delivery is coupled with “Apply on line feature, there is every
reason would submit their resumes.
If
50% are self-employed, that still leaves 50 million!
And
these are the resumes that we will “sell” (@ Rs. 10/- each) to our corporate
subscribers! At one download/year for each resume, this means Rs. 50
crones/year!
If
cell phones are being pressed into service by
· HDFC
bank for allowing credit/Debit card holders to make payments
· Siddhi-Vinayak
Temple to accept Rs. 51/- from devotees to perform “Pooja
Then
why not for delivering “Job alerts”?
We
have already downloaded 130000 job advts from Monster/Naukri in last 2 months.
In
sept/Oct, I propose to raise this figure to 300,000 job advt & keep
downloading @10,000/ day from various sites (including corporate sites).
We
already have “AUTO-CONVERTER” software to create a “structured database” of
these job-advts (to facilitate “matching” resumes with jobs).
What
is remaining is one small step, viz:
- Match/search
module
- Delivery
(telecom) module
- Accounts/Billing
Module
- Customize/configure
module
- Admin
Tool Module.
Monday,
30 June 2003
THE
SECOND WHEEL
Kartavya,
Abhi, Nagwekar, Inder
In
my notes "NATURE OF OUR BUSINESS" (Dt. 08-04-1994),
I
said,
Our
business will have 2 wheels,
. Information Technology
. Telecom Technology
Telecom
will be the second wheel of our Chariot.
Our
business will be based/ centered around "Super highways of Information
Flow"
But
I wrote this before Internet/ Telecom revolution had reached the shored of
India.
But
9 years later, things are looking up !
Now,
we have 3.5 million internet connections (-but quite likely 30 million email
IDs) and over 6 million cell – phone connections, growing at 2 million/ year.
There
are, also 80 million TV sets, of which, some 40 million have cable connections
- all of which, will get a set -top box in next 3/5 years.
ICE
(Information - Communication - Entertainment) is poised to be the fastest
growing industry. Most of the investment is being made in this sector.
Telephone
companies are diversifying into providing Internet Services - but giving
"Connectivity" does not earn much revenue. It has become a
"Commodity" business - or, will soon become.
And
Cell - phones lines (Connections) will grow many times faster than landline
connections. Cost per line is much cheaper (to install). Cell phone prices are
dropping too.
Within
next 4 years, teledensity will go up from 5/100 to 7/100 of population. Cell -
phone tariffs are dropping (-although lowest in the world).
In
last 3 months, average usage of Cell - phones has gone up from 400 minutes /
month Everyone owns his/ her voice & can deliver to another cell phone.
But
very few 9only companies) have DATA, which can be delivered over cell - phone.
Cell
- phone companies are desperately searching for DATA CONTENT, in order to
differentiate from competitors.
If
they cannot manage to get some "Competitive
advantage"
thru such differentiation, they would face tough time.
And
this is our opportunity.
Enclosed
tabulation shows what "Content" we can make available to cell - phone
companies, which could be of great interest to cell - phone users.
To
begin with "delivering job - alerts on SMS".
(Can
we, quickly find - out, how many of our resumes, contain "Mobile No’s? -
even though we may not - certainly do not - know, who are the "service -
providers" - unless, we can figure that out from the "Numbering
System).
Initially,
we will offer such content FREE to cell - phone companies. If they have to pay
for such content, they may shy away.
And
of course, we must not have an exclusive tie - up with just one cell - phone
company. We will offer similar content to all cell - phone companies.
And
let them decide whether they wish to.
Give
away the content "Free", in order to increase their "Subscriber
- base"
OR
they
wish to charge something for each job - alert delivered.
In
making "Job - alert" available over cell - phone, we are selling
"Convenience" to the young job set crowd, whose biggest problem is
that they are on - the - move all the time & have hardly time to connect to
internet / open mail box/ look - up job alert.
And
to be able to receive on SMS job - alert, when you are in the company of
friends/ colleagues/ relatives, can be a tremendous EGO BOOSTER !
Now,
you are showing off to all your friends/ colleagues/ relatives, that
. YOU ARE IN DEMAND
. YOU ARE "SOUGHT - AFTER"
. YOU ARE IMPORTANT
Once
Kartavya confirms that we ca deliver such content, technologically in X days),
let Inder speak to Mr. Sandip Das (Orange) - a good friend of Nirmit.
h.c.parekh
Abhir
– Kartavya – Vicky – Inder –
A
“job-alert” sent to a mobile is a “Non person-to-person” value added SMS
service.
Mobile owners pay approx. Rs. 1.50 per message.
Of this amount Rs. 0.50 / 0.75 is paid to “Content Provider” by the concerned
mobile-service company.
So
if only 1 lakh jobseekers sign-up for such a service, we (as content provider)
can make Rs. 75,000/- DAILY! Service provider gets the same amount. And today
with 93 (GMS / GPRS / CDMA), service providers are desperate to get some
killer-content! They are all making huge losses & would want to grab any
stand! This alone could give us an annual revenue of Rs. 2.4 crores!
What do we need to implement this fast?
16/01/03
MOST
WANTED
Kartavya,
Abhi, Inder
"To
be wanted" is a strong human emotion. It gives depth/ meaning to
existence. "Self esteem" of a person depends upon how much he is
wanted/ how much he is in demand.
Devoid/
deprived of this feeling (of being wanted), a person builds up all negative
emotions (anger/ frustration/ jealousy/ hate etc).
But,
when this feeling (of being wanted) is strengthened / re - in forced, a person
builds - up positive emotions (Love/ Sympathy/ Help fullness).
The
feeling of being wanted, in facts a person's ego & increases his "Self
Esteem".
To
make Global Recruiter a resounding success, we must interweave strong human
emotions into its fabric.
Global
Recruiter must skill fully employs
Strong
human emotions to capture the imaginations of both, the recruiters & the
job seekers.
And
we must "exploit" technology to this purpose.
Let
us examine how we can exploit the feeling of "being wanted" amongst
the jobseekers.
If
I am a professional, (employed or unemployed), what would
. Worry me most?
. Lift my mood, the most?
If
I am employed, losing my job would worry me the most.
If,
at the same time, knowing that 17 other companies are "looking for
me" (wanting me), would lift my mood, to ends!
May
not be "me" - by name (Prakash Mehta), but someone quite like me -
could even be me !
I
suddenly realize that "I am wanted / I am in demand/ I am sought
after".
All,
I need to know that, on this 25th of May 2003, there are as many as 17 jobs
(from 17 companies) which match my resume so well (-
what percentile match?), that I could simply walk in
In any of these 17 companies and simply land a job!
Such
knowledge would boost my ego! I am good enough to bee "Wooed”! - And if
the "suitor" wooing me is handsome (read, a large / reputed
company),then I am in the seventh heaven!!
And,
it is so simple / easy (technology - wise) to arouse" such a powerful
emotion in the mind/ soul of a Jobseeker.
We
already have a "Job - alert" software which matches
. A given Job - advt.
With
. A given resume
And
this match - making takes place, once a day, on our jobsite.
All
the new/ fresh job - advts, being posted during the last 24 hours are
"matched" with all the resumes in the database, and "job -
alerts" get emailed to each resume - owner.
I
believe, the software takes into account only the "incremented" job -
advts. Being posted on our website, during last 24 hours. This was a sensible
thing to do, in order
.
Not to overload the server
.
Not to flood the candidates with job - alerts for the same job - advts. Again
& again.
But,
whereas, we may think of continuing this sensible/ practical approach, we could
also think of introducing a
"You
are wanted by" graph
.
A kind of "wanted Index"
.
A kind of "Demand Meter"
.
A kind of "Your Popularity Chart”!
This
is like Mr. A.M. Naik (CEO - L & T), first thing every morning, looking -
up the share - price movement of L & T, on TV/ Newspaper/ Website etc. etc.
I bet he gets this "Feed" on this table (or on his mobile - more
likely), every half an - hour during the trading - hours! All CEOs / CFOs do!!
We,
too, could plot such a graph, for each & every resume, each & every
day, without any problem.
Today,
plotting such a graph, would look ridiculous, because, I suspect we have no
more than 8/10 Job - advts on our website!
But,
starting this week, we will start downloading every single job - advts. Posted
on Monster/ Naukri / Jobs Ahead/ Job Street/ Job sad etc. And EVERYDAY.(Using
MYRIAD).
So,
by end June, we may be, daily downloading 500 job advt. That is 10,000/ 20,000
every month.
So,
even if we retain/ keep these job advts "Live" on our website for
just ONE months, we would have at any given point of time, 10000/20000 job
advts.
And,
hopefully, by end June Abhi may have managed to convert (ResuMine) & upload
on our website 100,000 email resumes
So,
there will be DAILY MATCH - MAKING between
.
100,000 resumes
&
.
20,000 job- advts
&
throwing - up "No. of Matches" for each resume.
Plotting
these graphically every day, for 100,000 Candidates may pose, some processing
load, which we can overcome.
We
could also think of doing all these "match - making" OFFLINE &
plot the graphs offline.
Then,
only upload the graphs (daily?) on our web - server based Resume Database.
So,
each graph becomes a part & Parcel of BUTTERFLY RESUME
Which,
.
A candidate can log - in & view & download
.
A candidate can receive as email
.
A candidate can receive as MMS (Mobile)
.
A candidate can show to this boss!!
(Message
- "I am not stuck with this job!")
.
Show to this prospective employer, saying "I am a most wanted
person". (May not be a good idea!)
Let
us use technology to stir - up powerful human emotions.
h.c.parekh
- “Demand
Graph” must not be made a part of “Butterfly Version”. It will
prove counterproductive.
No
recruitment manager would want to hire a person with such a huge EGO — who goes
around shouting “Look here, I am in such a great demand!”. Including “Demand
Graph” into “Butterfly Version” would create precisely such a feeling.
So,
we reach a conclusion that the “Demand Graph” may be an excellent
ego-booster/comforter for a jobseeker, but it is not to be shared with
potential employers.
But,
of course, you would want to share the “Demand Graph” with your friends &
colleagues. After all, your “esteem” lies in their eyes! And you want to
“compare notes” with them by looking at their “Demand Graphs”.
And
would it not be a matter of shame, if they, your friends/colleagues do NOT have
their OWN “Demand-graph”? Unthinkable! So, the virus spreads & cult
develops.
- A
daily graph — with 31 days of month — may be too large to appear on the
small screen of a GPRS cellphone.
So,
we may take
→
Average of 7 days & plot a “WEEKLY CHART” or
→
Average of 31 days & plot a “MONTHLY CHART”
These
are small enough to fit onto a cellphone screen and therefore ideal for zapping
(as MMS) to friends/colleagues.
A
“new toy” is no good for a child unless neighbouring children can see it and
“envy” the child!! — and want to have similar one of their own.
Candidates
may log into our website & view large “DAILY” graph, but only a weekly or
monthly version can be downloaded on cellphone screen.
- Suppose
we can start OFFLINE experimentation, as soon as Deepak manages to
download ca. 1000 jobcards from various sites, using MYRIAD.
Kartavya
/ Nagwekar
Abhi
/ Inder
31-05-03
“Job
Alerts” on Cell-phone
This
is further to my note “The Second Wheel” of yesterday.
My
detailed thoughts on this subject are jotted down in the margins of chapter on
“LUCK” from book DoCoMo Copy enclosed. You may find it useful to just
glance thru the underlined paras in my notes.
One
technical point which I am unable to understand is,
Do
we really need to tie up with cell-phone service providers in order to deliver
job alerts over cell-phone (GSM/CDMA type)? If cell-owner simply logs into our
website using internet-connect feature of GSM/CDMA phone — then how does
service provider come into the picture? Once a customer gets connected to
Internet, cellphone service provider has no SAY in the matter as to what the
user accesses (which site) & what he downloads?
Can
you pl. clarify?
