Now You Can Outsource Your Job Search

Yes, that's right. Just when you thought outsourcing was taking away American jobs --- now its helping us find them. Through the use of overseas labor and some unique technology, a new service called JobSerf is about to launch. Their mission is to job hunt for you and apply to jobs that you pre-define with them.

According to their web site here's the process;

1. You complete a detailed search profile and provide your cover letters and resume's.

2. Our staff develops a search algorithm for the Serf

3. A Serf, your personal job search assistant, is assigned to you, and scours the internet and applies to jobs while using a masking technology to show the origin to be from your email, invisible to the recipient. You will be BCCed on all of the Cover Letters sent out.

The Pricing comes in 3 Levels and you choose how many weeks you'd like:

$49 per week for a single day per week of searching & applying

$99 per week for half a week (20 hours)

$199 per week for a full-time person (40 hours)

Also there is a $49 setup fee to work with you and confirm your data, then develop the search parameters, select sites, etc.

I exchanged emails with one of their founders, Jay Martin, last night. Here are 3 key questions I asked him;

1 - Job hunting is such a personal experience, how will your service avoid becoming something too "computerized". What processes do you have in place to customize the persons application?

The Cover Letters are prepared in advance by the Customer, for different Functions, Industries or other specialties. His JobSerf, or Serf selects the most appropriate one for each different job recognizing this is an appropriate balance between pure customization and pure form letter. Also, it is not 'computerized' - there is someone actually doing exactly what you would do if you were stuck in front of your PC. Everyone asks if there is really an IT back-end. Truth is that with the variability of online job postings, it is impossible.

2 - Does the service just search for jobs with email addresses and then emails a resume? how does it work for fax #'s, mailing addresses, online application forms...please explain.

It is for email addresses and online applications, but not for hard copy or fax. Also, can post resumes and will set-up agents on sites.

3 - While I can see the obvious time saving advantages of a service like this, I cant help but think it's not a perfect solution. Your thoughts...?

Its objective is to free up your time to do those activities that you HAVE to do or prefer to do. Examples being preparing for interviews,following up on job leads, networking, and making contacts for your A list of jobs (that your Serf may have found also) and getting'in the door'. As a solution, it is far more powerful than anything we have seen in regards of relieving you of the task at handgiven that at the bulk of other services are just improving your time efficiency to troll through job leads - you still have to spend a considerabletime on the net sifting through them and applying.

My Opinion: a service like this has possibilities and intrigues me. Obviously the only major advantage is the time it saves the average job seeker. I'm sure their are busy professionals out there who will find this useful. But since job hunting is really a full-time job I'm not sure how many people will pony up $199 (cost for a full week search) a week to use it.

If there are any jobseekers out there interested, I'll pay for your first half-week in exchange for commentary on your experience with it. First come first serve. Email me.