In my latest interview, Asher King-Abramson, founder of Warmer Jobs, shared insights into his innovative job search platform. Warmer Jobs aims to revolutionize the way job seekers find opportunities by leveraging their LinkedIn networks and providing a more targeted approach to job hunting.
Asher’s background is a unique blend of software engineering, marketing, and recruiting experience. He started his career in code boot camps, where he observed that individuals who secured jobs quickly often did so through their networks and referrals. This realization led him to create Warmer Jobs, a platform designed to make it easier for job seekers to find openings within their professional networks.
The core functionality of Warmer Jobs is straightforward yet powerful. Users sync their LinkedIn connections, and the platform then scours the career sites of each connection’s company. It searches for job titles that match the user’s interests and presents the results, showing which connections work at each company. This approach allows job seekers to identify potential referral opportunities and “side doors” into companies they’re interested in.
One of the key differentiators of Warmer Jobs is its job seeker-centric approach. Unlike platforms like LinkedIn, where employers pay for promoted job posts, Warmer Jobs focuses on providing relevant results to the job seeker. Asher explained that this model allows for a better user experience, as job seekers see more jobs that are truly relevant to them, including opportunities at smaller startups or companies that don’t pay to promote their listings on other platforms.
The platform’s user interface is designed for ease of use. Job seekers can search for positions in specific locations and industries, with results sorted by the most recently updated listings. Each job posting shows the user’s connections at the company, making it simple to reach out for referrals or insider information about the role.
Asher demonstrated how Warmer Jobs differs from LinkedIn’s job search functionality. While LinkedIn does offer a filter to show jobs in your network, the results often include promoted posts that may not be entirely relevant to the search criteria. Warmer Jobs, on the other hand, focuses on providing accurate, up-to-date listings directly from company career sites.
The business model for Warmer Jobs is primarily based on consumer subscriptions. There’s a free tier that allows users to explore the platform and see its value, but access to the most recent job postings (within the last four days) requires a monthly subscription. Asher also mentioned that there are custom plans available for recruiters, career coaches, and businesses that need to use the platform at scale.
One of the interesting aspects of Warmer Jobs is its approach to data sourcing. Rather than relying on job aggregators or third-party APIs, the platform directly scrapes company career sites. This method ensures that the job listings are as current and accurate as possible, coming straight from the source.
Addressing potential privacy concerns, Asher explained that Warmer Jobs operates within LinkedIn’s terms of service. The platform uses the data export feature that LinkedIn provides to users, which includes basic information about connections such as names, LinkedIn URLs, and company names. Warmer Jobs doesn’t remarket or sell this data; it’s used solely to determine which company sites to search and to display connection information for job listings.
When asked about the competitive landscape and growth strategies, Asher revealed that Warmer Jobs is currently bootstrapped. With his background in software engineering and marketing, he’s been able to develop and promote the platform largely on his own. The company is seeing promising early traction, with around $1,500 in monthly recurring revenue across approximately 30 active customers, and over 1,000 users in total.
Asher shared some success stories from Warmer Jobs users, including individuals who have secured interviews or jobs at companies like Airbnb, Rippling, and the Federal Reserve. He emphasized that the platform’s value goes beyond just finding job listings; it also helps users navigate the application process more effectively by leveraging their network connections.
Looking to the future, Asher discussed potential new features for Warmer Jobs. These include additional filters for company size, industry, and funding stage, as well as improvements to job title suggestions. He’s also considering developing a feed of recommended jobs based on the user’s network and preferences.
When asked about general job hunting advice, Asher stressed the importance of leveraging one’s network and seeking referrals whenever possible. He noted that many job seekers still focus too heavily on cold applications, whereas being more strategic and intentional about reaching out to connections can significantly improve one’s chances of success in the job market.
In conclusion, Warmer Jobs represents an innovative approach to job searching that prioritizes the job seeker’s experience and leverages the power of professional networks. By focusing on direct sourcing from company career sites and providing easy access to warm connections, the platform aims to make the job hunting process more efficient and effective. As the job market continues to evolve, tools like Warmer Jobs may become increasingly valuable for those looking to stand out in a crowded field of applicants.
