Roulo-Boulo’s mission: If you cannot go to the job; the job will come to you. Roulo-Boulo is a job bank, in a bus, that roams around downtown Montréal helping youths—between 16 to 35 years old—find work.
Painted a visible orange, the Carrefour jeunesse-emploi (CJE) bus was a tremendous success last year and will come back again this year from May to October. It will be found in strategic city spots, frequented by students, at different times during the week.
Need to revise your CV and cover letter? No need for an appointment. “We really aim for the present.” Explains Émilie Ouellet, Roulo-Boulo Project Manager. All you have to do is locate the bus through the mobile application or consult the schedule on Facebook.
Besides reviewing your CV—a popular service—you can get interview training and advice on networking like using LinkedIn. “We also invite employers with recruitment campaigns to get on board.” highlights Ouellet, “People can directly submit their application.” Job offers are also posted on the bus’ exterior screen, on Facebook, and the mobile application.
Once on-site, compentency questionnaires can be filled out in less than twenty minutes and users will receive a report of their results directly by email. Organizers also review the final evaluation grid to pick out important points related to the client’s employment objectives.
Sometimes in specific locations—notably the Beaudry Metro Station—organizers and a “crew” of youth workers offer different approaches to clients facing employment obstacles.
Even if the bus gives its time to six downtown stations over three days, it also collaborates with other CJE centres—especially those located in Mercier, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, and Le Plateau-Mont- Royal—that want to organize events.
Unlike food trucks, Roulo-Boulo’s line is not monstrous. “And if it happens, people only have to come back around twenty minutes later.” Emphasizes Ouellet.
Standing Out From The Crowd
More than one hundred and thirty businesses participate in the project and can “rent” the bus for private recruitment campaigns. Fortunately, the Roulo-Boulo teams examines their employment offers. “We have already refused employers in the interest of transparency, particularly because their offer did not seem to factor in the employee’s pay.”
Through Roulo-Boulo, Candidates also improve their chances of being called by employers instead of falling into an anonymous process. She adds, “In addition to a CV, employers receive personality questionnaire results.”
Most jobs offered are entry positions for a first job. “The service industry is the most represented, particularly offers from call centres requiring a very specific personality.” the project manager mentions.