Dice's mobile app aims to add value to your job search
Dice Careers takes a lot of the guess work out of job searching, showing competitive job listings in your area, salary data and even the market value that your tech skills and experience bring to the table. The goal is to give job seekers data will result in more qualified people applying for jobs -- knowing they’re a good fit -- rather than applying to jobs either above or below their pay grade and position.
Once you download the app and register for an account, you can choose different skills that you want to list on your profile. You can also choose your work authorization type as well as whether you are looking for full-time, part-time, contract or third-party work. Under the skills section, you can also adjust a slider bar to indicate how many years of experience you have with each skill listed on your account.
You can also note on your profile what position you are currently seeking, your desired location and years of experience in that area. The app will then automatically generate your estimated salary under the “market value” tab, and below that you will find different skills that you can acquire to boost your net worth. For example, you might see Oracle UPK can net you an additional $18,714 per year, or that Web content management might just boost your overall worth by $575. This is one of the most unique aspects of the Dice Careers app, considering most job board sites don’t offer up this type of information.
On your profile, you can upload a photo, decide if you want it to be searchable and include an entire copy of your resume. The app allows you to save jobs you’re interested in and apply directly through the app. It will also serve job recommendations based on your location, background and the job searches you conduct within the app itself -- all features typical of most job search apps.
Bob Melk, president of Dice, points out that the app is more of a “resource than a transaction,” meaning it’s not intended to be another way to apply to jobs, but instead, the Dice Careers app aims to deliver more relevant information for job seekers. It’s designed to give job seekers more control over the process and allows them to feel more educated going into an interview, he says.
Applying to a job when you don’t know the salary range can be frustrating. No one wants to waste time going through the interview process, only to find out the starting salary is far lower than you expected. And, while sharing your salary might have been taboo in the past, thanks to outlets like Glassdoor, it’s becoming easier to go online and figure out if your salary is on par with your peers. Dice doesn’t shy away from salary data either, providing estimated salary ranges based off your own experience and skills. That’s why it’s important to add skills to your profile and appropriately adjust the years of experience you have in that area.
Part of the salary data also includes information on new and emerging skills, and the current market value of those skills. This is one of the most important features, considering the tech industry changes so rapidly, which means new marketable skills pop up just as fast as new technology. It’s valuable information for anyone who might be getting back into the job market after time off, transitioning from independent or contract work to full-time work, or for anyone who wants to move their career in a new direction. With the Dice Careers app, you can go in and check out relevant skills and figure out what skills are in the highest demand based of how much they can increase your salary.
“As an example, Java, a more established but highly valued skill in the tech space, is at the basis for many open source projects. For tech professionals with a strong background in Java, learning that open-source skills, like Apache Spark, could benefit you both professionally and financially would be worthwhile to many,” says Melk.
And while you might not get exactly the salary boost the app predicts, it at least offers some guidelines and a way to measure a skill’s worth against another in your industry. If you’re thinking about branching out and taking courses to learn new skills, you can ensure that what you decide to pursue will be beneficial to your career.
The app is targets job seekers, but employers can use the app to compare other listings in the industry to make sure they’re offering similar incentives to woo talent. It also gives employers a chance to give out more information about their company, which can in turn, attract more talent to job postings.
Dice also offers an app aimed at recruiters that connects with Dice’s open Web social recruiting platform so you search for tech talent and interact in real time via email, Twitter or Facebook from your mobile device. You can even organize candidates with folders and save common searches, making it easier to manage the number of qualified individuals you want to reach out to.
But for professionals, the Dice Careers app is a way for them to feel as in control as the employers, making the job search process more of a conversation than a one-sided experience. Applicants have more insight into what to expect for salary and how they can leverage their skills. And, in the end, those details can help the job seeker find the right employer.