Ed, thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Tell us about Wikijob and how students and graduates can benefit from it…
WikiJob is social careers website students and graduates use to discuss careers, companies and further education. WikiJob users share experiences of interviews and working for notable employers in the UK, which is very useful for candidates making decisions on where to apply to work and preparing for difficult upcoming interviews and assessment days.
When did you start Wikijob? Before or after university? What made you take the plunge into entrepreneurship?
I started WikiJob after I graduated in 2007 with a friend of mine from University. We’d both worked in graduate jobs for a while and decided being employees wasn’t for us. I started WikiJob because I always wanted to run my own company and because I felt I could provide students with access to something that wasn’t available at the time – real life online feedback on graduate jobs from your peers.
You started the business with your friend, Chris Muktar, how important do you think it is to have a business partner?
I’m lucky, because Chris and I have pretty complimentary skills sets. It’s been useful to work with him because at times when I haven’t got an answer to a problem, he has.
{AF template=round_quotes} It’s also great to have someone to share your experiences with, make decisions with and generally have fun with. {/AF}
I’m sure I could run a business solo, but I’m also sure it would be a lonelier experience.
Tell us the hardest things about being an entrepreneur..
No one can tell you what to do.
And the best things…
No one can tell you what to do!
Do you regularly set personal and business goals? How important is that?
Yes. Goals are very important. We set goals all along, traffic goals for our website, financial goals, personal aspirations, etc. It’s good when you’re aiming for something. Once you know what you want to achieve you can figure out how to do it. The hardest part is figuring out what your goals should be, not meeting them.
And what is your major goal at the moment?
Our 2012 revenue target is £1 Million. We’re on track to do this, but it might be tough!
Edward Mellett is co-founder of WikiJob.co.uk the UK’s largest Graduate Jobs website.