Watch CBS News

Baltimore Jobseekers Are Incorporating Mobile Methods Into Job Searches

Mobile technology is rapidly changing the way jobseekers search for employment opportunities. Yet despite advances in Internet technology, smart devices and other media, many of today's online applications are still difficult and time-consuming to complete using mobile devices. That's where JobOn comes in.

JobOn is the leading developer of video-enabled job application technology. It provides clients with a broad range of available industry opportunities through a mobile-friendly recruitment platform. Now hundreds of thousands of jobseekers are able to apply to more than 35,000 businesses worldwide using just a mobile phone.

There are currently 1,179 jobs listed in Baltimore. Jobs range in a diverse array of employment sectors including Maryland Live! Casino, S3 Shared Service Solutions, Liberty Tax, The Green Turtle, Squisito's, Sprint Wireless and many others.

"Baltimore's difficult spring doesn't seem to be holding the city back from falling in-line with national trends of strong overall employment," explained Jody Presti, CEO of JobOn. "While retail hasn't been strong in 2015, a natural uptick for the holiday hiring season is forthcoming."

JobOn was established in Annapolis back in 2011. The company comprises of 17 employees who share a passion for modernizing the recruitment process for hourly workers in retail, restaurant and hospitality industries.

"I started my career working in the Radio Shack in the Annapolis Mall and was promoted to manager," Presti reflects on his own past experience as a jobseeker. "More than 20 years later it frustrated me that the same process I went through to get a job at a mall store is today's best practice—applicants waiting outside the store, filling out countless applications to get five minutes with a hiring manager that was mostly interested in a bright smile, sunny disposition and enthusiasm for the brand. We developed JobOn so applicants and hiring managers can do the important things first and on their own schedules."

According to Presti, nearly 100 percent of mobile devices include some sort of camera. JobOn's application process is revolutionary, as it puts hiring the best worker right in the palm of your hand, quite literally. The application process is simple; rather than filling out long forms to apply online, which can be difficult on a smart phone, applicants complete basic profile information and then record responses to interview questions using mobile device cameras. Applicants can even practice as much as they'd like before submitting to the hiring manager.

"To keep costs reasonable for hourly employers, we are not trying to build a consumer-facing brand like Monster.com or Careerbuilder," Presti explains. "Employers can use JobOn for as little as $10 per month."

JobOn has helped employers fill more than 20,000 jobs this past year alone. When the company first started back in 2011, less that one-third of all applicants completed their JobOn profiles using mobile devices. Today nearly 70 percent of applicants choose to go mobile.

Laura Catherine Hermoza has a lifelong love for writing. In  addition to serving as a contributor to various media publications, she is also a published novelist of several books and works as a proofreader/editor. LC resides in Baltimore County.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.