John Paul Chikwendu Ezeagwu’s struggle to find a job felt personal. So the Nigerian co-founded JobRaker, an AI-powered platform that automates parts of the job-hunting process for young job-seekers, everywhere.
By Toochi Gabriel, bird story agency
Growing up, John Paul Chikwendu Ezeagwu was usually more interested in what was inside the devices around him than in what they were intended for. He would disassemble blenders, old televisions, remote controll units and other equipment at home, inspecting their components and attempting to understand how they operated.
He was amazed by the mechanisms hidden beneath the outer casings and mystified at how the many components worked together to make each device function.
“I had always been intrigued about how systems work: complex systems, to be specific,” he said.
That fascination led Ezeagwu to pursue electrical engineering at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka. After graduating in 2022, he pursued a career in technology. But his attention quickly shifted to the mechanics of a new challenge: finding a job.
“I personally went through the stress of seeking remote work outside after graduating from school,” he said. “So, it stemmed from hours, days, weeks, months on end searching back and forth for jobs.”
Today, 26-year-old Ezeagwu is the CEO of Area50 Technologies, a Nigerian software development firm that creates digital products, including AI-powered applications, as well as tools for automation and business processes.
Ezeagwu is also the co-founder of JobRaker, an artificial intelligence-powered job search tool that automates some of the tedious work associated with seeking and applying for employment.
The reason: his frustration at the job application process.
“My friend and I, we spent hours every single day writing different applications that were tailored to different job roles,” Ezeagwu said.
For many young Nigerians, that process takes place against a difficult employment landscape. The State of the Nigerian Youth Report 2025, issued by Plan International Nigeria in partnership with ActionAid Nigeria, puts youth unemployment at 53 per cent.
With JobRaker, users only need to upload their CV and profile once, and the platform will search for appropriate positions, match opportunities to their abilities and expertise, adapt applications to unique job requirements, and submit applications on their behalf.
According to Ezeagwu, this can cut the time spent on the application process by about 90 per cent.
But automating applications raises concerns about what happens when additional candidates start using the same tools.
Chukwudi Edoga, an IT executive and the founder of Digital Dreams in Enugu, believes automation might help candidates navigate an increasingly digital job market in which possibilities are frequently advertised online and require digital skills to access.
According to Edoga, AI cannot replace the human assessment required to comprehend a candidate’s circumstances and potential.
“If your CV is weak and you are unqualified and you are using AI platforms to automate it, it means that you are getting more rejections,” Edoga said.
The worry extends beyond the individual candidates. If a substantial number of job searchers rely on AI to submit applications, employers may confront an increase in the volume of automated applications and a greater dependence on software to evaluate them.
Edoga described the possibility as a situation where “AI is sending and AI filtering,” leaving less room for human assessment.
That is one of the reasons why Ezeagwu’s is launching JobRaker Recruiter, which is aimed at companies and recruitment agencies. The software is intended to assist organizations in filtering large quantities of applications and identifying applicants whose portfolios match the open vacancies.
The volume of applications needed to break into a competitive job market can make the hunt itself a full-time job for recent graduates.
JobRaker was created around that problem. Instead of asking a candidate to continually edit the same CV for numerous vacancies, the platform employs AI to make modifications according to the requirements of each position.
“So, what you would have sent out for a Nigerian Breweries job posting will be different from what you would have sent out for PHCN.”
Pascal Onele, a graduate of electrical engineering, was used to the process. Prior to landing a job, he searched job boards for months, seeking to find open positions.
“Everything was manual,” Onele said. “You have to write a date and all this, calling people to know where you can see vacancies, since you cannot be everywhere online and you cannot be everywhere offline, too.”
Tailoring applications added another layer of work.
“Getting the information, coming back to tailor your CV, your resume, and cover letter to match what they want… everything was so cumbersome to go through,” he said.
JobRaker changed how Onele approached the search. Rather than manually repeating the steps for every vacancy, he used the platform to automate applications and narrow opportunities according to his qualifications.
“It narrowed the CV to a unit of search… looks at the absolute thing you say you know how to do with your CV, and searches directly to get that. It removed the stress. It saved time, energy, and everything,” he said.
For Onele, the value was not that the technology secured him a job without human intervention. Instead, it assisted him in getting beyond the administrative phase of the search and into a position where his own abilities could be evaluated.The skills he had developed remained his responsibility once he reached the next stage.
For Ezeagwu, the platform’s two sides address different aspects of the same issue: individuals struggle to identify and apply for suitable positions, while companies struggle to manage the volume of applications they receive.
JobRaker does not guarantee employment. What it does change is the amount of repetitive labor an applicant must perform in order to be considered for an opportunity.
According to Ezeagwu, while technology might speed up applications, the job search still requires a human decision: whether the individual possesses the necessary skills and expertise needed for the work.
Ends.
