Doostang.com is an online career networking community that originated as a closed website for students and graduates of top-ranking U.S. undergraduate and MBA programs. The company was founded at Stanford University in 2005. Doostang was acquired by Universum Global.
Company Information
The name for Doostang comes loosely from the Latin phrase , meaning I reach for talent. Doostang was founded by Mareza Larizadeh and Pavel Krapivin in July 2005 as a free, invite-only website designed to enable friends to share jobs and network with one another. The website was opened up to students and alumni from several dozen undergraduate and MBA programs in September 2008 and expanded to open registration in July 2009. Doostang was venture and angel funded. Its first angel investor was Andy Rachleff, Co-Founder of Benchmark Capital. Its Venture investor was Jason Pressman from Shasta Ventures. Other angel investors included Mark Leslie and Michael Dearing. The company has raised over $5.75 in Series A and Angel financing In February 2010 Doostang raised $1.25 million to expand even more. Doostang was acquired by Universum Global. Doostang's CEO since July 2011 is Jeff Berger, former Co-Founder and CEO of KODA.
Features
The purpose of the site is to allow registered members access to posted job openings and connect with relevant contacts in their industry. there are over 1,000,000 registered users on Doostang. Members can search the site for positions by industry or by location, which are categorized as Premium and non-Premium listings. Premium jobs can only be accessed by Doostang Premium members, a commercial service introduced in January 2009. Doostang members also have access to expert resume review services.
Membership Options
Basic membership
Members can create a profile searchable by community members and recruiters, browse job openings, and network with other members.
Premium Membership
Doostang's Premium Membership option was launched in January 2009. It was the first move Doostang made from being a free access site to a subscription site. It allows members to access all of Doostang’s 'Premium Jobs', jobs that are set aside as the best of Doostang and only visible to paid premium members. The fee for premium services ranges from $16 to $40 a month. According to Doostang, this helps ensure the quality of applicants, as job seekers are more likely to pay if they are qualified for positions they must pay to access.
Doostang for Employers
Doostang allows hiring managers and corporate recruiters to join the community, post relevant job opportunities, and interact with community members free of charge. Doostang does not accept job postings from agency recruiters.
Doostang for Career Centers and Alumni Organizations
Doostang has formed relationships and partnerships with a variety of MBA Career Centers. To date, Doostang is working with the following schools’ career centers:
