A teen who felt overwhelmed at the prospect of searching for a job has revealed how she matched with an employer in just hours using a new Tinder-like recruitment app.
Mia Zanco, 17, found work using Hunt, which launched in Australia on Tuesday and matches job seekers and employers using machine learning – a type of artificial intelligence that allows computers to adapt to patterns in data.
The app allows job seekers to create a profile listing their skills, experience, background and availability, while businesses upload details of roles they need to fill.
It then uses an algorithm to pair job seekers and employers based on their profiles – with users on both sides of the job market swiping until they find a suitable match.
Once a job seeker matches with an employer, a conversation can begin and an interview can be set up.
Ms Zanco said that, upon finishing high school, she was overwhelmed when she went online to apply for a job.
Mia Zanco, 17, managed to kickstart a career in travel after using recruitment app Hunt which matched her with a tourism agency in Noosa
‘I didn’t know how to look for jobs, it was so intimidating because all the online applications had so much information and I didn’t know which one was right for me,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
When her high school careers counsellor recommended the Hunt app, Mia decided to create a profile.
The next day she had matched with the tourism agency Noosa Cruise and Travel on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and her recruitment was finalised in a matter of weeks.
‘The app is very convenient for us Gen Zs trying to find a job, it’s very much in our own terms,’ Mia said.
Recruitment app Hunt launched in Australia on Tuesday and allows job seekers to create a profile listing their skills, experience, background and availability. They then can match with employers looking to fill a role
‘In high school I’d just go into stores with my resume which was really intimating for me at that age, and when you search for jobs, it’s very overwhelming with the amount of information you get.’
Mia said the app may be difficult to navigate initially for older users.
‘They’re not as accustomed to apps as Gen Zs, but it is very easy to use,’ she said.
Hunt is aimed at blue collar workers, with co-founder Natalie Cherry saying it would benefit those working in hospitality, retail, construction and travel most.
Ms Cherry, who co-founded the business as well as running two travel agencies, came up with the idea in 2018 when she was trying to hire a junior staff member.
‘I just had piles of black and white CVs on my desk and because they had no experience and I couldn’t see them I ended up interviewing way more than I should have and within 10 seconds I knew they weren’t suitable for the job,’ she said.
Hunt is aimed at blue collar workers, with co-founder Natalie Cherry saying it will benefit those working in hospitality, retail, construction and travel most
Ms Cherry has owned small businesses for 18 years and said she has wasted so much money on job advertisements that get little results.
‘I just thought there has to be a more time efficient way to hire people,’ she said.
Hunt was supposed to launch in 2020 but the Covid pandemic put the idea on the backburner.
‘After Covid I was desperate for staff and I thought I couldn’t waste anymore money on ads that don’t work,’ Ms Cherry said, adding she spent the past couple of years fine-tuning the app.
The co-founder said the app sped up the hiring process from weeks to days and enabled job seekers to find a role that fits them in a matter of seconds.
‘How do school leavers find a job other than noticeboards or signs outside stores?’ Ms Cherry said.
She said the app was simple three-step process where users swipe, discover and match.
‘It allows people to be seen whether they’re skilled or unskilled, or of a certain age or background,’ the founder added.
Hunt is free for job seekers while employers can enjoy a six-month free trial. Beyond this, subscriptions for employers begin at $29.95 and go up to $69.95 a month.
The app is available on Apple and Google Play stores.
