American oleh to bring businesspeople together on-line in support of Israel.
By ABE SELIG
Jobshuk.com, an on-line networking site geared toward connecting Israeli businesses and overseas companies, on Tuesday is launching a real-time, interactive exhibition via the Internet to bring together its users and potential clients worldwide.
Using Skype, a program that allows customers to make international telephone calls, Jobshuk is bringing business representatives from around the globe together in a virtual conference center to promote the idea of cooperation between Israeli and foreign businesses, and encourage discussion of possible opportunities in the future.
"It's a great chance to interact with people in Israel, and realize that what we're promoting is not so difficult," says Zvi Landsman, the 28-year-old founder of Jobshuk.com. "Hopefully, while they're at it, people will forge a connection as well."
Anyone interested in participating in the on-line exhibition can log onto www.Jobshuk.com for more details and to register.
Launched last September, Jobshuk links Israeli freelancers and businesses with prospective clients in the United States, Europe and elsewhere, combining the ideological desire of people who want to help Israel with the business advantage of outsourcing to a foreign country filled with highly-educated, English-speaking workers.
"I want to help small business interaction between Israel and those that support Israel all over the world," Landsman says. "The vision is to boost the Israeli economy, and help people who have their own businesses afford to live in Israel. It can actually make life easier, encourage aliya and bring Israel into the 21st century."
Still, Landsman's niche in an unforgiving world market has not been easy to carve out.
"I've found a lot of support from people in Israel," he says. "Some of them are already working with foreign clients, some are looking to get into that market, and they find it encouraging that someone's out there pushing this concept. But as far as the foreign support, it's difficult to spread that word, that message; it's a very new concept. The idea of outsourcing, being able to have someone on the other side of the world working for you, is a very difficult concept to wrap your head around - but it's a concept that's growing with the increase of technology."
And Landsman is using technology as the driving force behind Jobshuk. The whole operation is Internet-based. Users post profiles on the Jobshuk Web site to advertise their products - anything from advertising services to massages. Foreign companies post freelance jobs, allowing potential employees the ability to be proactive and search for available opportunities. They can review job descriptions and place a bid on tenders.
Clients' credibility is boosted by work samples and reviews, and while postings on both ends are free of charge, the site makes money by providing premium placement to clients willing to pay.
Jobshuk is gearing up for its Job Expo, the first of its kind for Israel, in which Landsman will connect hundreds of people from different countries, on-line, to discuss business opportunities. In addition, he hopes to tackle the issue of companies hesitating when looking at Israeli businesses to invest in, and promote Jobshuk among those who might not be aware what it has to offer.
"People want to support and stand behind Israel and really help it survive through its hard times," Landsman says. "But they're often at a loss as to what they can do. Here we have this opportunity for people to be really involved and have a profound effect on the people living here - to have a profound effect on the lives of the people of Israel."