Poornima Sreelal and her job portal Jobveno.com is a social innovation which helps laymen to search and apply for jobs even without a resume. The portal is a boon for blue collar job seekers, housewives and students and this differentiates the platform from other job portals.
Give a brief info about your startup?
Jobveno.com is a simple job application platform which helps laymen who do not even know what a “resume” is, to search jobs nearby. It is also an upcoming platform to search work from home, part time jobs for housewives and students.
Jobveno.com has been a revolutionary job search platform in Kerala and got featured in leading newspapers and medias like Indian Express, Mathurbhumi, Desabhimani, Madyam, Metro Vartha, Kairali, Asianet news, Kaumudy . I was recently recognized by Kairali Tv Jwaala by giving the best Young Woman Entrepreneur award. I was selected by Tech camp Global and sponsored by US Government as a woman change maker of South Asia among 25 woman entrepreneurs from India. I also received an award for the best young woman entrepreneur from Padmashree Bharat Mamooty!!
What made you start your startup and what problem does it solve?
90% of the workforce in India are not professionals
90% job portals focused at remaining 10%
90% of them don’t know what a “resume” is
90% wish for secondary or additional income.
Depreciation in women workforce after maternity
Long working hours not convenient for expectant and breastfeeding moms
These findings made me realize the gap in the employment industry and prompted me to find a solution which later gave birth to Jobveno. My venture aims to solve the above issues and make the industry more efficient.
Tell us about yourself, your previous jobs/ventures? What were you doing before this startup?
I am a law graduate and later did my MBA as well. I was working as Assistant Manager Legal in a leading private bank. When banking life became monotonous, I felt the need for reinventing something in my life. I decided to start an HR consultancy for professionals where I could help thousands of people to get a job. While embarking on this journey as an HR consultant, I realized that there are millions of under privileged people in our country who do not have a proper channel to find jobs to match their skill sets.
Also there are a lot of women who wish to work close to their home. Majority of ladies work for a living, some for a societal status and some for an engagement. I thought if I could help these professionals in finding a job, it would be a great idea which was eventually launched as Jobveno.com.
Where is your startup based out of? Why do you think that is the best place for you?
Jobveno.com is a social innovation currently based out of Cochin, Kerala. As of now we work across Kerala. However, Jobveno.com cannot be restricted to Kerala alone. In many parts of our country, people are still struggling for daily wages. It is the need of the hour for us to spread across the nation.
As a startup founder, what are you paranoid about? What keeps you awake at night?
Currently there is no established job platform to find unskilled and blue collor workforce/jobs, to find jobs nearby and speak to employers directly. All job portals are CV centric. Currently all employers depend on middle men for employing interstate/migrant workers
Most of the job portals focus on professional jobs for which employers pay enormous hiring cost through commissions and consultants.
The above are the opportunities of the business which gives me hope as well as makes me feel paranoid.
Who are your competitions and how are you better than them?
All the job portals are our competitors. However we have uniquely differentiated ourselves in the field. Our market size is huge as we focus on unskilled and blue collar jobs, part time and also task based work. We cater to students who look for part time work and housewives who want to join workforce after a hiatus. Our platform is not CV centric which enables a lot more applicants to find work.
How hard is it to have a work-life balance as a startup founder and how do you manage it?
I hail from a middle class family in Kerala. We are a small family comprising of myself, my husband and my 5 year old son. I am the chief executive of Jobveno.com as well as my home. In spite of the busy schedule of work, I make sure to spend some quality time every day with my son and husband. Spending 10-15 minutes a day for myself also makes me physically and emotionally fit
Have you raised funding? If yes, then we would like to know the details. If no then please tell us if you’re looking to raise?
Yes KSIDC seed funding. It is the concept of Jobveno.com which is novel . However the platform needs constant technological update. Being an entrepreneur from a middle class family, I do face challenges with the funding aspect. We look forward for like minded investors and powerful women to come in to this venture and join hands with us.
What’s the biggest misconception people have about you? Why do they have that? What’s the reality?
I was earlier working as legal officer with a private bank. I had to take a challenging decision to quit my job so as to start a new venture. I faced criticism from my family and friends when I quit my job and all blamed me for taking a hasty decision. But 5 years since then, I have proved that I have taken the right decision.
What gets you excited about this company?
Every woman likes to work near her home. But just because of not knowing how to search, where to go and ask for help, most women are reluctant to enquire nearby jobs. I am happy that I could light a lamp in the houses of thousands of such women.
Tell us how a day in your life looks like? Your schedule for a day right from the time you get up till you hit the bed at night.
The only thing in life which is unique is time, because you can recall everything but not time. I believe that 24 hours in a day is your investment in life. The choice is up to you to plan it wisely. Everyone in this world have the same investment of time. Some people create miracles out of it.
Tell us about your team and how did you meet each other?
I have a wonderful team of four. The team comprises myself, my husband Mr Sreelal and my two friends Miss Sharika and Miss Agnus who have supported me emotionally throughout the journey. My husband is an HR expert, Sharika is an IT expert and Agnus is a housewife. We ourselves have experienced the difficulty in finding a job and this common factor led to the invention of Jobveno.com
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