For most teenagers, earning a driver’s license at 16 is a milestone of independence. It grants them the liberty to drive to a friend’s house on their own time, to see a movie, and to skip the bus to school. For Connor Vukelich, at 16, it was the catalyst for launching his business.
“That made us think, why isn’t there a site dedicated to helping entry-level people getting into the workforce?’” Vukelich told Fortune about his conversations with friends at the time. “More specifically, Gen Z, getting us into the workplace and helping walk us through the process of doing it because it’s something we’ve never done before”
To solve the hurdles young job seekers face—mainly the ghosting, competition, and experiential barriers that prevent those of a high school and college age from securing a spot on the first rung of the career ladder—Poppin’ Jobs features tools like résumé building and an AI interview assistant to guide them through a hiring process most are going through for the first time. And for those who don’t have licenses yet, Vukelich has a solution for that as well: a local job map for those who may only have a bike for transportation.
Now a 20-year-old student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., Vukelich is now focused on scaling up the number of employers on the website, hoping to attract more local jobs and volunteer opportunities.
Vukelich said he’s had many conversations with fellow students at college. His advice is always the same. “The only things people are going to hire for are passion or the knowledge of how to use AI in combination with your knowledge,” he said.
