Two recent AU grads are fighting a monster — monster.com that is.
Dave Rodriguez and Dave Simnick both graduated this year from the Kogod School of Business and the School of Public Affairs, respectively, and their new Web site, GrouperEye.com, takes a different approach to job hunting than other résumé-posting sites.
The idea that spurred Simnick and Rodriguez to give up their arguably more stable job offers with established companies in favor of entrepreneurship is a simple one: you are more than your resume.
Rodriguez started as an intern with GrouperEye in January, when it was just founder and CEO Ted Williams.
“I actually had my interview in the Tavern, right in front of Chick-Fil-A,” Rodriguez, who has since acquired the title of president and co-founder, said. “Then when I graduated, I had some other offers, but I really believe in GrouperEye.”
The same goes for Simnick, who got involved through Rodriguez a few months later.
“I like being enterprising and taking chances and building ideas,” said Simnick, director of membership and new user outreach. “Ultimately, we want to change the way students look for and apply for jobs. This idea is very unique.”
Here is how it works: a company posts a problem, question or idea to GrouperEye. This is called a “case” or “mini case,” depending on the level of research and presentation required. A student then reads the case and develops a creative and original answer or solution. The student then submits their solution to the Web site. The company reviews the submissions, picks the best (usually top three) students and pays them the promised prize amount. This is sometimes accompanied by an invitation to contact and network with the company and, in the best-case scenario, to interview for an entry-level job or internship.
Isaiah Goodman joined GrouperEye in January of this year. He won seven out of the 16 case competitions he competed in, winning around $700.
“This Web site is really different from monster.com,” Goodman said. “It’s really being able to creatively express what you know and what you can do. Plus, you get an immediate connection to some great companies.”
You can still upload a resume to your profile, like on monster.com, but that is not supposed to be the main focus of your content, Simnick said.
The Web site currently has around 1,000 participants from colleges and universities all over the country. It lists 23 participating companies, including Under Armour and Sirius XM radio. There are currently five case challenges and five mini case challenges open for submission.
“It is incredibly difficult for talent to stand out,” Williams said. “Resumes and interviews are mediocre predictors of success.”
The company is called GrouperEye because its founders wanted to illustrate how applicants can stand out from a group.
“You are the ‘I’ in the group,” Simnick said. “Or rather, the ‘eye.’ Plus, we don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves with a name. We want to be able to expand and evolve with our client base.”
You can reach this writer at news@theeagleonline.com.
