What is your product / service and why did you create it?
EthicalJobs.com.au is a new job-search site for people looking for a meaningful job or career, and for employers who see their organisations as contributing to a more equitable, more just or more sustainable world.
Increasingly we’re finding people who see their work as part of who they are, not just something to make a living from. More and more people want the work they do to contribute to a more just or more sustainable world. Unfortunately, though many people would love a job where they feel they’re contributing to a better world, they’re often unable to find one.
That’s why we’ve launched EthicalJobs.com.au – to bring together people and organisations with a passion for sustainability and justice, and to provide resources to help people find a great job or career.
Jobseekers can use the website to find jobs, access resources on how to find an ethical job, subscribe to our free weekly e-newsletter, or contribute to our Ethical Jobs Blog.
What challenges have you faced?
Getting the technology for the site up and running was a pretty big feat – it ended up taking about 9 months to design and build the site – much longer than the 3 month’s I’d originally hoped for.
But our biggest challenge has been distinguishing ourself in a crowded market – there are apparently over 120 job-search sites in Australia! We think we’re really unique in the market though – no-one else is advertising ethical jobs - so it’s really been a case of trying to reach as many people as we can on a really tight budget, which is certainly not easy.
Early on I decided that rather than giving lots of money to advertising companies, we’d use our marketing funds to support community organisations that are doing great work on social and environmental issues, in return for their help in publicising the site to their members. This seems to be working pretty well, and it’s also a real pleasure to be able to support so many fantastic small community organisations!
What advice could you give others starting out?
- Everything takes 2-3 times longer than you think it will – everything!
- Find a great office environment to work from – we share a funky open-plan office in Collingwood with a few other small businesses, and the support and camaraderie we get is invaluable.
- You can’t plan for most things, so don’t wait until everything is perfect before launching – just get started and work the problems out as you go.
Where, if anywhere, did you find support?
I get daily support from the other organisations that share our office, which is fantastic, even if it’s just a quick “how are you going?”. Reading books and listening to podcasts from people who’ve done it before also provides heaps of new ideas and moral support that other have been through this before. And of course being able to count on friends and family to chat about what I’m doing and the inevitable frustrations is invaluable.
Do you feel the government is doing enough to support the industry?
I don’t think we really need government support. But obviously with the federal stimulus helping to create lots of new green and community jobs, we’re very appreciative!
Michael Cebon www.ethicaljobs.com.au
