Fridayd’s Carlos Paz wants to make the job search ‘feel like Friday’

By Dave Vieser. Most individuals faced with the prospect of hunting for a new job agree that the current online job search and application process is frustrating. The procedure hasn’t undergone any real innovation since the implementation of job boards over a decade ago. Enter Huntersville-based Fridayd, the job seeker’s virtual assistant.

Fridayd arranges for job seekers to uncover the most relevant job postings, apply for the jobs they are interested in, get recommended networking connections and track all of their progress in one at-a-glance dashboard, without doing any of the laborious work themselves.

“Starting a new business when you are unemployed may not seem like the most opportune time, especially if you don’t know where your next paycheck is coming from, but in my case, unemployment allowed me to see a big problem and a way to fix it.”

– Carlos Paz, Fridayd CEO

CEO Carlos Paz launched the firm when he himself was looking for work. “Starting a new business when you are unemployed may not seem like the most opportune time, especially if you don’t know where your next paycheck is coming from,” said Paz, “but in my case, unemployment allowed me to see a big problem and a way to fix it.”

Fridayd was launched with a seed investment and original capital totaling more than $250,000 plus funds from a Kickstarter campaign. The company kicked off an additional capital campaign in May of this year.

Paz said he was astounded by the online job seeking process. “Technology hadn’t really improved the process which included repetitively uploading resumes on numerous different systems, endlessly completing online applications and forms, trying to find networking connections and then tracking all of your efforts.”

As a result, Paz and his team formed a process which streamlines and accelerates the job search. They start by learning user preferences, which enables users to get the most highly relevant search results. Unlike many typical online job boards, Fridayd continues through the application and tracking processes and provides a do-it-for-me approach. “I like to think of it as having your own job search team, working side by side to help you find the right opportunities and throw your hat in the ring with you.”

Launched in March 2015, Paz claims no other company is doing what they do: Turning the job search industry in the favor of job seekers. They offer three different prices for their clients monthly packages, ranging from no fee for the basics to $79/month for “premium service.”

The results have come quickly and the reviews have been very positive. “I took a year off to have my third child and getting back into the workforce was a daunting task,” said Heidi Lieske, who lives in Maryland. “Using Fridayd eased a lot of the pain and anxiety of the job search…. I had three interviews and accepted an offer eight weeks to the day after I began my job search.”

The education industry has also taken notice. “It was an obvious choice for us to offer Fridayd to all University of Michigan alumni members,” said Amy Homkes-Hayes, manager of career and professional development. “We are excited for active or passive job seekers to have access to Fridayd when navigating their job searches in today’s complex world of work.”

Their offices at 9820 Northcross Center Court provide access to seven meeting rooms, including a 50 foot by 50 foot gathering space, and an exercise room. There are a total of 20 employees.

In their first six months of operation, the company generated $26,000 in revenue, and their revenue goal for 2016 is to reach $400,000. “We believe our growth potential is endless” Paz said. “There is no shortage of job seekers and I believe the strength of our innovative approach gives us a clear market advantage in the U.S. with the ability to grow globally.”