Job openings, a recyclable asset? | Saskia van Liempt | TEDxMadrid

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED conferences.
Saskia, a business woman and a member of the public, has created a database of interesting job openings for Spanish professionals who want to work abroad, simply listing and gathering ads that didn't fit her needs. Now her web page www.trabajosporelmundo.com has hundreds of thousands of visitors. What would happen if everyone consolidated interesting job openings and redistributed them to those who need them?

Hello, I'd like to take
a look back to a moment, last autumn,

when we woke up to
that kind of news in the press.

At the time, I was searching
the web looking for a job

because I was unemployed.

And I found this kind of opportunities.

They didn't match my profile,

but they seemed very interesting,
and I felt bad letting them go.

Together with my friend Malena,
who was in the same situation,

we began compiling those offers
and putting them on a website.

so that they could be accessible
to anyone interested.

That's how our project launched

and we started publishing
offers like this one.

For example, Facebook in Ireland:
they wanted someone who spoke Spanish.

In Dubai: a chef, speaking
Spanish, in a 5-star hotel,

or a video game tester,
in Spanish, in Frankfurt.

There is a dream in each of them,

we want to recycle job offers
sharing the information,

that despite being public
doesn't reach everyone,

and isn't always easy to find.

Some people think that we're boosting
the famous brain drain.

We prefer to call it
a "talent circulation."

Why demonize the fact

that one might leave the country
to find a job opportunity?

We all support the Erasmus programme.

Then why don't we want our youth to go out
and get an international experience?

Ana Lee Saxenian explains
in her book, "The New Argonauts,"

how many young professionals
who went to Silicon Valley

come back to their country of origin,
bringing all their experience with them

but also establishing solid bridges
between their different regions,

and this is very interesting.

But let's go back to Spain.

A year later, the press
is still publishing the same thing.

Employment has not improved,
on the contrary.

However, all through this year,

we've proudly shared
more than 800 job openings,

many people visited our site,
and we've helped them.

But we want our network
to keep growing

because we think
that employment is a recyclable asset,

and what is no use to me
may be gold for you.

The job offer that doesn't suit me
may be perfect for you, or you.

If two people have been able to do this,

what could we achieve
with more collaboration?

The tool is available, it's there,

who wants to share this challenge with us?

Thank you.

(Applause)