Give To Get Jobs is a job board and information hub for jobs that use a sustainable business model to solve social and/or environmental issues, mainly social enterprise and corporate social responsibility. As a social enterprise ourselves, we use the proceeds to fund job creation programs. We're currently in the process of creating our own job training program.

For us, there are two things that are of the utmost importance in making the world a better place. First, using the power of business to do good. Consumers are going to consumer. We are a culture built on consumption. Why not leverage that for good? Business can and should be used to have a positive impact on society. Secondly, creating jobs is absolutely paramount in fostering long-term sustainable economic development. Without jobs there is no economic growth and you can’t have development without growth. We focus our efforts on developing a job training program to bolster tech talent and provide people with better economic opportunities.

Problem

According to Cone, 69% of the general population and 87% of Millennials factor in cause branding when deciding where to work. People want a job that is both personally and financially fulfilling. These jobs exist at social enterprises and in corporate social responsibility or sustainability departments. But finding these jobs is incredibly difficult. The sectors are established but they aren't streamlined. Department names and titles vary in CSR. Social enterprises exist in every single sector. It is difficult to separate social enterprise jobs from strictly non-profit or for-profit jobs. We noticed at Give To Get Jobs a lot of tech jobs were being listed. But, it was very difficult to fill the positions. There is a shortage of tech talent. Those who are qualified often prefer to consult versus take on a full-time position. Startups have an especially difficult time filling tech positions. At the same time, college tuition has skyrocketed. Obtaining a quality higher education is becoming more and more difficult.

Solution

Give To Get Jobs is a job board and information hub for jobs that use a sustainable business model to solve social and/or environmental issues. Our goal is to bring all of the jobs in the big gray area in between the for-profit and non-profit sectors into one place making it easier for socially and environmentally responsible companies to find like-minded job seekers and for job seekers to find companies they truly want to work for. We recognize that it will take a while to grow to the size of an already established job board like Idealist.org. Therefore, we created a Social Enterprise Database. The Social Enterprise Database contains over 1600 social enterprises and is the most comprehensive listing of social enterprises in the United States. If job seekers can't find a job on our site, at least they can find a social enterprise in their community to reach out to directly. We also offer application assistance in the form of cover letter and resume advice. The proceeds from GTGJ fund job creation programs. Initially, we donated funds to programs via a non-profit, See Your Impact. We are now in the process of creating our own mobile job training program. We will be raising money for a job training truck. The truck will travel around urban + rural areas providing tech certifications. Our graduates will then be matched with startups in their area for 6mo. - 12mo. unpaid internships. We will pay them a stipend. We will also assist them in the job search post internship.

Example

Give To Get Jobs charges employers to post a job on the site. After a job is posted, we dedicate time to generating visibility for each individual job posting. We do this through direct outreach to relevant interest and networking groups and social media. When a client pays for cover letter and/or resume assistance, we work with them to determine the best turnaround time and understand exactly what they are looking for. Once that is determined we start offering advice. We go back and forth with the client with edits until everyone feels comfortable with the final product. The mobile job training truck is still in the early design stages. But, it will commence with a 4 person pilot program. The four students will most likely be low-income youth 18-22 who may not be able to afford college. We will provide them with a certification program that will teach them web development coding languages and design. We are hoping to partner with an organization like Code Academy for the curriculum design. Local students will serve as teaching assistants. Along with the online curriculum, we will have mentors and guest speakers. In order to graduate, students will have to complete the curriculum successfully and create a personal website. Once they complete the program, they will be paired with a startup in the area for a 6 months to 12 month unpaid internship. We will pay them a stipend during this time. There will be regular checkins with both the employer and employee. We will also provide mentorship throughout their internship. When their internship is coming to a close, we will also help the student find a permanent job.

Marketplace

Our main competitors are similar job boards. Idealist.org is the main job board for the non-profit sector. They allow social enterprise job postings. But people who go to Idealist are primarily looking for a job in the non-profit sector. And social enterprises need people with a business background as well. Similarly, there are a number of big job boards for the for-profit sector including LinkedIn, Monster, and Career Builder. They are incredibly expensive and it is difficult to search effectively for jobs in social enterprise and corporate social responsibility. Just Means, Next Billion, and Triple Pundit also offer job posting services. But it is not their main focus.