My name is Erfan, and I am the founder of Resumize, where we helps job seekers create job applications.
Tell us more about Resumize?
Resumize is an AI-powered tool that creates resumes and cover letters for job seekers in just a few easy steps. The AI content and templates available on our website for resumes/cover letters help applicants to pass screening tests like ATS and improve their chances of getting an interview. We try to focus on the needs of the employer from the job description and match those with the skills and experiences that the candidate has.
We are also offering other services like AI mock interviews, which help candidates to prepare for their upcoming interviews and practice interview skills for a specific position with AI.
What’s your background, and how did you come up with the idea?
I am currently a Computer Science student at the University of Waterloo. I personally felt how complex and time-consuming the process of creating a job application is, and I saw most of my friends have the same problem. I realized that none of the available tools were helping to ease this process. They were making it more complicated, so I came up with the idea to start a company that focuses on creating a job application that improves the chance of getting an interview. Nowadays, people apply to many jobs to finally get the position they want, and they spend hours creating resumes or cover letters for every job they apply for. Resumize helps them do that.
During the early stage of the company, how did you get your first customers?
The first customers came from a Linkedin post I made in my personal profile. Later on, most of our users appeared when we launched on platforms like ProductHunt and BetaList. But I have to say that at the beginning, we had a completely different product with fewer features. The product today, which still needs improvement, is the result of talking to multiple users, finding their problems, and constantly working to solve as many of those as we could.
How’s the business doing now?
It is going well. When I started the company, I did not expect this result. We are now helping over 1,500 job seekers; it is great to see such an impact that we have on their careers. I still see a huge opportunity to grow and acquire more users, and we have plans for that. Resumize is profitable thanks to the low expenses that we have had since day one.
What marketing channels are working well to acquire customers?
Most of our users so far are from BetaList and ProductHunt; I have to give credit to them, as they are a great platform for anyone looking for initial users. We are also active on Instagram, Linkedin, and Twitter, but Linkedin has been our better social media platform so far. We have not done any paid marketing or ads, but we have plans to do so in the near future.
What has been your biggest achievement so far?
The biggest achievement is the feedback we gained from some customers expressing that our product helped them a lot and saved tons of their hours. This is an achievement for me, and I am thankful to have an impact on some people's journeys.
What has been the biggest challenge in your journey?
Lots of technical challenges. We have had many migrations and changes in the past few months to find a product that helps users.
What’s something you know now that you wish you had known when you started?
I think it is essential to always remember that you are building a product for users, not investors or people who are not your potential customers. I wish I knew that when asking for feedback or opinion on the product I am building. The best people who can help you are the actual users.
What advice would you give to new entrepreneurs?
If you believe there is a problem you can solve, do it without worrying. If the market is big or not, I would recommend that you do market research and some small talks with potential customers before getting started. This gives you a better vision of the future and the role your company will play there.
Also, from my experience, it is best to start your company with a co-founder from the beginning. Onboarding a co-founder later makes things a bit complicated, so try to talk about your idea with a potential co-founder and start the work together from day one.
How do you keep yourself motivated?
I try to remind myself that my company is helping thousands of people and could possibly improve their lives. This motivates me to work harder and improve more every day. It is hard to stay motivated when the company’s finances are not great. But when you see more and more customers, you feel motivated and feel that you have a responsibility and commitment to all of these people.
What are your plans for the next 6-12 months?
We are going to a few big tech conferences as start-ups and trying to get more industry experts' feedback on our product and vision. We want to start our pre-seed round in the next six to eight months. Improving the outcome is always a priority, as well as attracting more users.
Where can people get in touch with you?
Find out more about Resumize at https://resumize.ai You can also contact me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erfan-saraj-3bb9931aa/
