148: Interview with Andrew C. Abraham

In 1992, Robin Dunbar correlated the neo-cortex size of humans and primates to predict the limit of social group size for humans. In other words, what Dunbar was looking for was the maximum number of social connections a human can manage. Dunbar’s number is 148, a theoretical cognitive limit to the number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships.

In Planet Internet, its capital, Facebook, is inhabited by 500 million real souls who virtually live there. There are also several large cities that facilitate real life employment to the citizens of this planet. LinkedIn hosts 67 million, and Monster.com has 70 million, among others. These cities are well beyond the comparatively tiny 148. Just like in real life, big numbers don’t help fostering the intimacy and personalization that a small group can provide. Although these communities are parceled into smaller districts (groups), if you take a quick look into them you’ll find out that the majority have at least a couple thousand people. In this line, a less massive and more targeted environment can enable more cohesive groups and personalized interactions. When numbers are too big, individuality gets lost in the crowd along with personal achievements and those things that make us stand out.

Gradkin, a startup from Singapore, is aiming to fill the gap between this behemoths, providing a more personal and community based experience by bringing together Gen-Y job seekers and employers. In Gradkin, job seekers will find a space where they can showcase and pitch their personal brands to companies who are seeking a specific population. By reducing the signal-to-noise ratio, Gradkin could make the difference for Gen-Y candidates and employers.

I interviewed Andrew C. Abraham, creator of Gradkin, so we can learn about the benefits of Gradkin, what makes it different from the other kids in the block and how it can be integrated with the social networks you currently use.

Hi Andrew, can you tell us what Gradkin is?

Gradkin is a Branding and Networking platform for students and recent graduates to connect with Employers and Jobs. The platform enables candidates to showcase their Personal Brand and how they can add value to their future employers. It also allows companies to illustrate their culture and ultimately attract the right candidates.

How did you come up with the name?

Let’s just say this wasn’t easy. In fact from speaking to other entrepreneurs, I’ve realized that the naming task can be one of the most difficult. After all, that will be the permanent brand by which your company is identified. I always wanted the word “grad” as the prefix, as it’s short, catchy and people recognize what the concept is about straightaway. Finding the end of the name was the tricky part. I probably tried about fifty different options such as “gradspace”, “gradvice”, “gradkey” etc. but the domains were all taken or it just didn’t sound right. In the end I thought about the vision of the company which was to create an online careers community. The word “Kin” sums this up well as it refers to a group of people that share common attributes. It’s also the prefix of the parent company “Kintuition”, so it works out nicely.

Which population are you currently targeting?

The platform is currently open to all university students and recent graduates in Singapore and all employers looking for such talent. We will shortly be rolling it out to all countries across Asia. Our goal is to revolutionize the Gen-Y recruiting landscape.

You recently launched a feature that lets users link their Facebook profiles with Gradkin. Can you tell us more about this?

Well we love Facebook, and so do 500 million others. It’s the largest social networking platform. Facebook have thus made the process of signing up to tens of thousands of websites easier, allowing users to transport their Facebook identity by clicking on a button. It’s the same concept with Gradkin. While users can sign up by inputting some basic details, they can also login through Facebook Connect.

What are the advantages of using Facebook Connect with Gradkin?

The main advantage is really ease. By streamlining the sign-up process to Gradkin, students don’t have to spend as long registering for the platform. It also means that students can post their Gradkin activities on their Facebook wall (if they choose to) thereby informing their wider network of their job search activities. At Gradkin, we are definitely of the opinion that the more people aware of your career pursuits and interests, the higher the chance of landing your dream job.

Will I be able to keep my Facebook profile personal while at the same time developing a personal brand? The reason I’m asking this is because some people prefer to use Facebook as a medium to communicate with relatives or friends and use other social networks like LinkedIn for business related purposes.

That’s the best thing about Gradkin. Our view is that Facebook is great socially, whereas Gradkin is more suited professionally. The idea behind developing a strong Personal Brand is to stand out to employers by showcasing your strengths. Dodgy status updates and being tagged in incriminating photos should be kept separate to your Personal Brand.

What do you think is the main difference between LinkedIn and Gradkin?

I get asked this question A LOT. The main difference is Gradkin is not solely a network of connections like LinkedIn. Instead candidates connect directly with employers and the job opportunities available within that company. I also feel that LinkedIn has degenerated to a point where it’s full of recruitment consultants and “work from home” business people pitching their products. The average age on LinkedIn is also over 40. Gradkin is targeted at the student demographic as their career needs are not the same as experienced professionals. People have called Gradkin a combination of Facebook, LinkedIn and Monster.com all rolled into one. I think that’s a great way to look at it!

Are there any upcoming news that you would like to break here?

We’ve got some exciting things planned for the company until the end of 2010. One initiative I’m very excited about is a collaboration with Radio Pulze, the campus radio station for the National University of Singapore. We’re working on a careers show to help students with their vocational pursuits and enhancing their employability skills. It’s the first of its kind here in Singapore and we’re expecting a lot of interest. Our ultimate goal is to assist the gen-y population with their careers, so this show ties in nicely with Gradkin’s overall vision. Also, we’re hopeful of populating the platform with many companies and job opportunities by year end, with a focus on start-ups and SMEs. Some of the best opportunities are within the smaller oganizations as they can offer a faster career track for candidates.

If you have any further questions for Andrew, drop a line in the comments section.

Andrew Abraham is the Founder of Gradkin, a Branding and Networking platform to connect Candidates with Employers. He also founded of Kintuition, a company that aims to foster interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence among Gen-Y in Asia. He offers a unique perspective on Gen-Y, being one himself and having recruited and managed this generation. His previous positions in Sales, Communications and Human Resources have given him an insight into understanding what truly motivates this new generation of Millennials. The company has sole proprietary rights to Gradkin. Jump to his personal blog by clicking here.