University of Guelph-Humber

When Jermaine Murray coaches his clients, he often reminds them to highlight their skills and connect those skills to the job they are applying for. 
It seems simple but for many-  selling themselves to a prospective employer is no easy task.

The second thing he reminds them of is that your career is not linear.
And he means it. 

Murray founded JupiterHR after his exposure to various industries after graduating from the Media program at Guelph-Humber in 2012. 

His work at JupiterHR  has already led to about 300 people finding jobs in the tech industry in a short three-year span.

Although he has clients from different backgrounds, Murray’s focus is to highlight members of the Black community and connect them with jobs offered in the tech industry. 

Murray views it as making the path traveled smoother for his clients because his path was not always easy. 

He started out in radio broadcasting as part of a duo hosting a basketball show from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., something he loved doing. It was short-lived when the show was cancelled after six months.

“It was heartbreaking. I tried everything to get back into the industry,” Murray explained. 

He took on many jobs to pay the bills while he sought out what he really wanted. His jobs included construction, videography, and sales, none of which fulfilled him. 
But an experience with a resume writer changed the trajectory of his career. 
While job hunting, he hired a professional to help craft a resume. He still winces as he explains that he paid $654.17 for a six-page resume when he only had six months of experience. In short, the resume he received was not going to land him that dream job. 

This inspired him to create his own after researching what it took to make a successful resume.  

With a revamped resume he started receiving call-backs within 24 hours from all the jobs he applied to. 

Friends started asking him to create resumes for them and they saw success too. 
This eventually led friends with businesses needing people and him being able to recommend people to fill those positions.

At the time he was working at a car rental agency-  a job that made him miserable. 
He was thinking about next steps when he saw a post for a technical recruiter. He had all the skills they wanted. He applied and got the job. He started working at the recruitment agency and started to really feel the joy of helping people get on the right track. 

He recounts one of his clients from Ukraine who was overwhelmed by the job he secured after working with Murray. With the ability to work remotely, his new job allowed him to spend time with his young son. 

It resonated with Murray. But it also got him thinking about how to specifically help people in the Black community land the same  well-paid tech industry jobs.

He soon started an initiative on a Whats App group. Every time he would meet a black person, he would add them to his WhatsApp group in case any other opportunities arose. While he worked at the recruitment agency he made many recommendations, from his Whats App group. 

This didn’t always go over well with his superiors who told him he couldn’t only recommend black clients for his jobs and that he spoke “too urban” for the company and that he should try to speak more like his colleagues. The experience left Murray distraught.  

“I try to make an effort to highlight members of the Black community because nobody is really highlighting them,” Murray explains. “You can’t over represent a community that is underrepresented.”

Armed with a disposition that immediately puts one at ease and a wealth of knowledge of what employers are looking for and how to sell yourself, Jermaine is changing the lives of hundreds of clients in the black community.

Some are looking for a change after a job that was too taxing, others are looking for that first big break in their career. Murray helps them all.

He is committed to helping members of his community showcase their skills.
“My whole intention is for the best interests of my community. People don’t believe they can be in a position unless they see others that look like them in that position.”