First-GIG LLC, a business that operates
two career placement services, is relocating
its headquarters from Madison, Wis., to
Saratoga Springs.
First-GIG operates 1stGig.com, which
focuses on jobs for college graduates, and
VetsBridge.com, which specializes in the
employment of returning veterans of the U.S.
Armed Forces.
After operating for more than three years
out of Madison, First-GIG is relocating to
Saratoga Springs, in part because of the thriving
IT industry in the Albany-Saratoga area,
officials said. The company plans to continue
its active role in the national marketplace.
First-GIG officials said the company has
developed proprietary algorithms for both
programs that make it easier for potential
employees and employers to find each other.
The service is available to students and veterans
at no charge.
1stGig.com, unlike traditional job boards
and other self-help resources, is an employment
matching service, company officials
said. The program connects early career
seekers, such as college students and recent
graduates, with employers on the basis of
an established criteria, requirements, and
educational background, as well as personal
attributes, interests, and experiences. The
company said this approach creates accurate
matches that result in long-standing
employer-employee relationships.
The program is being used by a number
of higher education institutions, including
the Career Development Center at Skidmore
College.
1stGig.com is making a special effort to
assist college graduates who have student
loans. The company has partnered with Great
Lakes Higher Education Corporation (https://mygreatlakes.org/) to
contact over three million student loan holders
throughout the United States, inviting them to participate
in the program as a means of launching careers
that will enable them to repay their loans.
VetsBridge.com, like 1stGig, uses an algorithm,
in this case one that matches military
experience and skills with companies and
employers from around the world that are
committed to hiring returning veterans,
officials said. Military personnel can begin
their job search at any time, even before completing
military service, by creating a profile
and managing their job search.
The company said VetsBridge.com is also
working to assist veterans who have encounters
with the civilian criminal justice system.
The program has partnered with the Veterans
Defense Project of the New York State
Defenders Association (www.nysda.org) in
Albany, to help returning veterans who are
facing criminal charges that may have resulted
from combat-related post-traumatic
stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, or
substance abuse.
Both 1stGig.com and VetsBridge.com keep
their profiles live over an extended period of
time, with the opportunity for participants
to update their files, the company said. This
system provides employers with a steady
stream of talent they can tap as needed.
For more information on the two employment
programs, visit www.vetsbridge.com
and www.1stgig.com, or contact Matthew
Weale, mweale@1stgig.com, 581-7300.
First-GIG was founded in October 2012 by
First Fairfield Associates LLC, in partnership
with the Trovato Group and human resources
expert Dr. Albert Marco. First Fairfield Associates,
with offices in Ridgefield, Conn.,
and at 48 Union Ave. in Saratoga Springs, is
a social enterprise firm offering consulting
services nationwide. It also acts as a direct
venture capital source and re-positioning
partner for business start-ups committed to
positive social and community impact. For
more information, visit www.firstfairfield.com.