Seven questions, seven answers. Munich Startup in conversation with ZALVUS.
1. Who are you and what do you do? Please briefly introduce yourself and your product!
Zalvus Founder:
- Matilda von Gierke, 24 years old, Liberal Arts and Sciences (major in Business)
- Florian Burchett, 26 years old, Digital Media Production
- Christoph Schuster, 45 years old, computer science
As follows:
- Florian & Matilda have known each other for years through a mutual friend from Berlin.
- Christoph is Matilda’s great-uncle.
Zalvus is the only career management tool for applicants. With Zalvus, candidates can learn about career-relevant topics and maximize their profiles. Applicants can import/create interactive CVs, apply to any company, and see their progress through the tracking feature.
(A) when they sent which documents to which company,
(B) whether and how often their profile was opened and
(C) whether they were rejected or invited for an interview.
Currently, large companies in particular force applicants to repeatedly enter their information in various formats into unsightly and unstable systems. After investing hours in creating applications tailored precisely to their companies, applicants receive a maximum of two lines in response after what feels like six weeks: "Thank you for your application. We regret to inform you..." Since this is not acceptable, we have set ourselves the task of reversing the process and developing an online application manager by applicants for applicants. Zalvus's independence is its main differentiator: applicants can apply to any company (not just Zalvus partners). Currently, all they need is the recipient's email address. Data security and impartial advice from orientation to employment are our top priorities.
https://www.facebook.com/globaltechbox/videos/530443520639143/
2. But that's been around for a long time!
There have been numerous solutions focused on job searches for a long time. However, once an applicant finds a suitable position or a personal contact to whom they want to send their application, all existing providers fail, and the applicant is left to fend for themselves. This is where Zalvus comes in: The career management tool guides candidates over the long term, assists with optimization and management, and brings transparency to what has been a frustrating process.
3. What are the three main ingredients for your recipe for success?
1. The team must stand and that is what they do!
2. Allocation of tasks – thanks to our broad backgrounds, we complement each other perfectly and distribute tasks accordingly. This allows us to be as productive as possible (although, of course, we'd always like to get more done).
3. Prioritization / The “golden” middle – being open to feedback and market response, but not losing the thread and concentrating on the essential concept and its implementation.
4. Let’s get down to business: How is business going?
Without engaging in paid marketing, we've already been able to bring together applicants from a variety of backgrounds in our fully functional open beta version. We've even already seen initial success stories from candidates who have secured their next job with a Zalvus application. The feedback from applicants and HR professionals is consistently positive and provides us with plenty of inspiration for further development. The personality test, based on the MBTI, in particular, has impressed all parties, with over 801,452 users completing the test and publishing their results. We're also pleased to announce several significant partnerships with universities, career fairs, companies, and more. Naturally, the investment from the Axel Springer Plug'n'Play Accelerator is a key lever in closing collaborations.
5. What does Munich mean to you?
Zalvus's name alone has a strong connection to Munich – Zalvus is derived from 'salve' and 'servus' ('say hello to the new job'). We also value the city's seriousness, its proximity to traditional entrepreneurship, and its strong affinity for digitalization. We are temporarily in the capital to participate in the Axel Springer Plug'n'Play Accelerator Program. While it's exciting to get to know the "startup-hyped" Berlin better, we have deep roots in the city on the Isar River.
6. How will your startup become the next unicorn? Or will we see you soon at Epic Fail Night?
Fundamentally, our goal is to make applicants' lives easier. If we ultimately succeed in establishing a new application standard and putting the candidate at the center of the recruiting process, our vision will become reality. After all, that's why we founded Zalvus 😉
7. It's either...or! Helles or Prosecco?
An Augustiner, please! Anything else isn't beer...
