As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, new graduates are finding it takes months to secure employment, with many accepting roles that do not meet their career aspirations. To tackle this issue, Drafted, a new startup, has developed a jobs platform specifically targeting students and early-career professionals—a group they believe is overlooked by existing platforms like LinkedIn, Handshake, and Indeed.
Drafted employs AI and video resumes to connect candidates with job opportunities, moving beyond the typical keyword-based methods used by most recruiters and job platforms. The startup has formed partnerships with over 3,500 companies seeking to recruit fresh talent. These companies vary from startups to established Fortune 500 firms, including multiple Y Combinator startups, as well as tech giants Google, Amazon, and DoorDash.
The startup collaborates with leading educational institutions such as UCLA, University of Miami, University of Chicago, Georgetown University, and others. This partnership aims to aid students and young professionals in securing internships and job placements.
Drafted was founded by Andrew Kozlovski, a two-time entrepreneur, and Rodrigo Pecchio, a former Amazon software engineer. The two met while studying at the University of Southern California (USC).
Andrew Kozlovski previously launched Brainz Power, a company dedicated to selling supplements formulated with natural ingredients to enhance brain health. He created this business in his freshman year to finance his university tuition. Despite generating revenue between $10,000 and $30,000 monthly, Kozlovski aspired to venture beyond the supplement market to impact people’s lives in more diverse ways.
In an interview with TechCrunch, Kozlovski explained that after consulting with various startups, including Y Combinator startups, he observed the challenges faced by both hiring startups and entry-level talent seeking internships or entry-level positions. This realization led to the creation of Drafted. He brought Rodrigo Pecchio on board as the company’s CTO and co-founder, and together, they launched their mission to expedite student employment and assist startups in finding the necessary talent to drive their visions forward.
The Drafted platform requires users to enter their name, university, and degree information. They then create a video resume by answering questions typical of recruiter interviews, such as discussing what distinguishes them from other candidates and describing a time when they overcame a challenge. Job seekers can then send their profiles directly to hiring companies on the platform.
Employers can browse video resumes to identify suitable candidates for their vacancies. They have options to filter candidates based on the specific schools attended or particular skills. The platform presents video resumes alongside percentages indicating how well a candidate’s expertise aligns with the company’s culture and job requirements.
“There’s no other platform that is relying on video resumes,” stated Kozlovski. “It’s completely novel, and AI matching is more efficient than methods relying on traditional resumes.”
Drafted intends to keep the platform free for job seekers indefinitely. Although currently free for employers, Drafted plans to introduce a subscription-based model based on usage, offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional recruitment fees.
Looking ahead, Kozlovski expressed that Drafted aims to become “the number one job site that college students think of when they graduate from university.” Presently, the company is concentrating on expansion and onboarding as many students as possible.
