Dubai: Fortune favours the brave they say. At 21, Iba Masoud has taken the plunge and is in the process of starting her own online recruitment company, Gradberry. The online portal is scheduled to go live at the end of the month.
The recent graduate of the American University of Sharjah quit her first job to pursue her dream of helping other fresh graduates and students find employment in a tough job market. At the moment the business is run by Masoud and another person who handles the technical side.
"I know how I suffered when I graduated and tried to find placements. Companies are looking but they don't know where to look and this is where Gradberry comes in."
Masoud, a Pakistani national who grew up in the UAE, got her first taste of business when she was 11.
Her school did not have a library and she had a large book collection. She rented out books to students who were interested in reading and also gave 50 per cent of the proceeds to charity. "It was my first taste of social business," she said.
When Masoud graduated from AUS last year, her finance degree got her a job at General Electric and prior to that she had internship experience as an analyst and in investment banking. "It's not what I wanted to do."
Her idea for Gradberry was conceived years ago but it was a few months ago that she gave up safe, paid employment to set up the business.
Planting careers
Commenting on the unusual name for her venture, Masoud said she wanted fruit to be a part of the branding. "We're planting careers because graduates are fruits of the future."
She explained the portal gives graduates the opportunity to apply for jobs with zero to two years work experience. "We also give career advice and help them figure out their path."
Masoud has been working with companies in the UAE and found out there is a need for high-calibre graduates. "On Gradberry, companies will be able to find entry level professionals and interns. Other jobs sites have nothing for professionals and interns."
Students will access the site for free but companies will pay to post job ads.
For now the business is self-funded though operating costs are low she said. "We're in the legal stages of trying to get venture capitalists and investors interested."
Masoud is also social media savvy and has aggressively marketed the portal's services on Facebook and Twitter. The response has been overwhelming she said — their Twitter account has exceeded 1,000 followers and almost 500 people follow the site on Facebook.
Looking for a job? Log on to www.gradberry.com to register for job opportunities.
