Yuri Vol said Calgary job seekers are wasting too much time trying to navigate a world where robots are filtering the vast majority of resumes and applications.
His company, Job Autopilot, has its own robot that “fights” employers’ robots.
Vol, who came to Canada two years ago from Ukraine, said he struggled to find a job here for at least a month.
“I made all the mistakes I could possibly do,” he said.
“I got so many advisers, like not the real career adviser but those who I met and they told me different things.”
Vol said he learned that others around him were having the same problem. That’s what triggered the idea that there’s got to be a better way to nail down the job search.
“Job seekers are struggling to find a job, because they need manually apply for jobs like for hundreds or even 1000s of jobs, spending more than 500 hours to get one job offer,” he said.
“Our robots use AI to fill job applications, forms and prepare the resumes to pass those employers’ filters. That leads to eight times more interviews, compared to what job seekers could have on their own.”
Vol said the reality that many job seekers don’t fully grasp is that many employers, particularly those using a service, are using robots to filter the vast majority of job applications. This is due to the sheer quantity of applications they receive, he said.
It’s widely known now that different employers and employment aggregators use keyword searches to scan resumes quickly, Vol said. The problem is, every robot is different, he added. They’ve reversed-engineered many systems with numerous highly scored resumes to develop their software.
“Our AI knows, based on the robot that we are going to send the resume to. It should adapt the resume, and tailor it on the fly,” he said.
“No one else is doing that in the market.”
Experience in the Canadian market is key: Vol
Vol started his first business when he was 18. He assembled computers. That launched a 20-year entrepreneurial journey. He’s worked with the Commonwealth of Independent States (former Soviet territories), China, and countries in the European Union.
Coming to Canada, it was Vol’s first experience working in a North American market. That’s what made the jump into the Alberta Catalyzer – Velocity program so important. He said drawing on the expertise that is brought in to guide them has helped immensely.
“With the help of Alberta Catalyzer, I got their expertise,” he said.
“Their experts would provide me with the feedback that I could use to adapt my approach to strive on this market.”
Now, Job Auto Pilot is focused on delivering the solution to job seekers North America-wide. After that, they’ll look to job hunters in Europe and Asia.
“The idea is to change the way job seekers are looking for a job,” Vol said.
“We believe that you only need to supply your resume into our system like putting an envelope on a table and then we distribute that resume to every suitable job every suitable position on the market,” he said.
“You just sit and wait when some employer would be interested in your skills and wants to talk to you. We’re trying to change the way you’re planning for jobs and we need some time to disrupt this process.”
