New York startups hiring

Today we speak with Jeff Novich of, a mobile app that is changing the startup job search process.

Tell us about the app.

You’ve heard of and . Hired in NY is a mobile web app that makes it easy to discover, connect and apply to thousands of jobs at 2, 000 New York-based startups and small companies. Hired In NY manages a user’s job search through an intelligent, customized to-do list and helps them find the right job. Built on top of the same data set as the popular “Made in NY” site, Hired in NY also provides a new, rich API with many new pieces of information about each startup and the jobs available, making it easier to browse jobs and have the best information possible to ensure an application stands out.

Many job-seekers often think the best way to find a job is to click “apply” a lot. The reality is, companies that are hiring their 5th or 50th employee are looking for someone who is passionate about what the company does, comes into the interview prepared with ideas and insights, and fits well into the company culture.

Hired in NY is a checklist that turns even the most inexperienced job-seeker into a highly engaged applicant, so when you do apply and get that interview, you’ll be prepared to put your best foot forward. It’s perfect for internships/entry level jobs all the way up to execs.

What market are you attacking and how big is it?

The job market is huge and for startups and smaller companies, the people are everything. So companies spend a lot of money trying to find the best people. HiNY solves a big problem for jobseekers who are overwhelmed and not sure how to start looking or how best to prepare. The employers I’ve spoken with echoed those same concerns, saying that tons of talented candidates will come in for interviews but do poorly because they just didn’t do their homework. Most job apps are built to ease pain from the employer’s end, and that makes sense because they have the money. But we think a service that is squarely focused on the jobseeker can gain traction and be valuable for startups and smaller companies trying to attract talent.

What is the business model?

Though we are all excited and are continuing to build the vision, Hired in NY hasn’t yet evolved past the status “fun side project with a group of friends”. So we’re not taking the business model question too seriously. (Many of the other Big Apps winners were actual companies operating for a while.) That said, companies in our database could pay to be featured, which is a pretty standard approach. Companies could also pay to modify and update their jobs and company data as well as their “company-submitted” to-do items – these are tasks that would be specific to the company or job and would be a way for the company to directly engage with applicants prior to the interview. This depends on how people use the app and where jobseekers and companies find the most value.