Jay Hopper originally got involved in web design through a journalism job in the newspaper business. He eventually left his career as a newsman to join a local startup, Trivantis, as a web editor. He eventually became the company’s vice president of product management. Then, he launched a social network for automotive enthusiasts before finally deciding it was time to get what he calls "a real job."
After failing at the traditional avenues, like Monster, CareerBuilder and LinkedIn, and doing some networking, Hopper says, “I just found that process really frustrating. I was looking for companies that would fit my skill set, passion and personality. I just started thinking, ‘Where are all these companies – the agencies, the software companies, the tech companies?’ I wished there was one place I could go and see all that.”
He set out to create a website to meet those needs. The result,
Gigit Jobs, lists tech, start up, creative and design job openings in the Cincinnati, Dayton Northern Kentucky and tri-state regions.
The Gigit team manually reviews jobs that are posted, and while any company will be considered, positions posted must either come from a company that fits Gigit’s criteria or be a good fit in themselves. That means a web design job at the bank could work just as well as a business development position with a creative agency.
The site is aggregator-friendly, which means that jobs posted there will also show up in job-search aggregators. The site's landing pages are currently active, with a full launch planned this fall.
Hopper says he hopes the site will encourage techies and creatives to stay in Cincinnati rather than flee to stereotypically tech-friendly locales on either coast.
By Robin Donovan