New Social Networking Platform Launches in Arlington, Virginia

ARLINGTON, Va., October 1, 2019 (Newswire.com) - ​​​Job hunting is about to get a lot easier for local teens. Today, a new social networking platform launches in Arlington, Virginia, bringing hundreds of job opportunities to eager teens in the area. From mowing lawns and watering plants to SAT prep and extra soccer training, Ollie takes a novel approach to generating teen employment. Ollie is the first and only platform designed specifically to connect teens with local parents in the community who are looking to hire good help without breaking the bank.

“There’s a void right now for kids looking to earn money and gain work experience – something colleges really value,” said Christine Wisecarver, founder and CEO of Ollie. “Fewer teens are employed today than ever before, but not because they lack motivation. In reality, it’s the opposite. Teens are more engaged in school and extracurricular activities than ever before, and they need jobs that work with their demanding schedules.” 

Ollie is not just another teen job board. Ollie pulls from four categories – Sports, Academics, Hobbies and Household – and within this framework, has more than 80 job classifications that range from lacrosse to calculus to sewing to childcare and nearly everything in between.

“Bagging groceries and scooping ice cream are great teen jobs, but committing 20 hours a week after school isn’t realistic for a lot of kids today,” said Wisecarver. “Many need more flexible alternatives, and most would like to find something that’s more in line with their interests and talents.”

Ollie is designed to help teens gain valuable experience and build on their successes to network more effectively. As part of this process, Ollie tracks work experience for each user and creates an Ollie Resume – a sharable infographic featuring personal reviews – to help strengthen college and job applications. Ollie also helps teens connect with peers, college alumni and career veterans. 

“With Ollie, you can find a teen to do just about any odd job, and that’s an important differentiator,” said Wisecarver. “But the networking that happens before, during and after these jobs is perhaps even more significant. By empowering young people to be entrepreneurial while keeping their parents in the loop, we can spark relationships and life lessons that will last long after a dog-walking gig has ended.”

Ollie was built by parents with the help of child safety experts to ensure teens have a safer place to network. Teens can register for Ollie and build their profile, but a parent must authorize their membership before they can match with employers. Parents of teens are encouraged to remain involved in their teen's online networking. 

Source: Ollie Opportunities, Inc.