Who’s Hiring? Point.io

Who’s hiring Drexel co-op students? DrexelNow’s “Who’s Hiring?” series profiles opportunities within the University’s vast network of employers.

At startup Point.io, employees build their portfolio by designing customized apps, work in a round-the-clock workplace right on campus and experience one of the best rapid-growth tech experiences in the city. Sound interesting? This is the time to jump on board: the startup plans to double in size in 2016. 

Drexel students, meet Point.io.

The Employer:

Point.io specializes in building customized mobile apps for companies to use in the workplace.

Currently, about 30 people — including full- and part-time employees, co-ops and interns — work for the startup. That number is expected to more than double in 2016, according to CEO Ron Rock, with as many as 15–20 co-ops hired in the next three to six months.

Founded a little less than three years ago, the company has a global headquarters conveniently located at Drexel's Innovation Center @3401, at 34th and Market streets, with satellite offices in Boston and London.

The Buzz:

“If you think about it, we all use apps on our phone,” explained Rock. “I call them situational apps: You don’t use an application for your whole day. You use an app that tells you what the weather’s going to be today or how to get from point A to point B or how many steps you took. We have all these apps that are very specific for tasks that we do in our day. Why can’t we have that same type of experience for work? We don’t have any apps for work. Why can’t I have an app to approve an invoice? To enter my time? To sign a contract? To submit an expense report?”

Making these types of customized workplace apps is only one part of a co-op’s experience at Point.io, Rock said.

Point.io was the first company to move into Innovation Center @3401, which has a 24/7 security system that enables it to operate all night. The location is a huge benefit, just like the flexible work hours.

“One of the cool things about Point.io is I don’t care if you show up at 3 p.m. and work until midnight or 1 a.m. Many times I’ll pop in on a Saturday or a Sunday and people are here. It’s an environment that fits, I think, the lifestyle of what millennials are looking for,” Rock said.

It’s no wonder that a lot of the students who have worked at Point.io usually have positions after they finish their co-ops.

“The idea is to have you start interning or co-oping through your years at Drexel. In a perfect world, we hire you and then you work here and can mentor interns and co-ops,” said Rock. “And that’s actually what we’re doing right now.”

So far, Rock has hired three students full-time after graduation, and Point.io is sponsoring them for their green cards.

“We invest a lot in these kids,” Rock said. “Wouldn’t it be great if they were contributing not just to the U.S. economy, but to the Philadelphia economy? Wouldn’t it be great if they lived in Philadelphia, ate and drank in Philadelphia, went to Philadelphia venues? These are new taxpaying jobs coming into Philly, which is what I get excited about.”

The Jobs:

At Point.io, co-op students get all kinds of experience.

“You show up here, I’m going to have you writing code, presenting to customers, working with clients — you’re going to be doing everything for a startup,” he said. “We want co-ops or interns who are people persons with high energy, well-spoken, good at writing, have lots of good common sense, and are very proficient on their Android or iOS, which I find almost all millennials are right now. Part of this kind of technology at work is scary, so I need people that can easily put non-millennials at ease and make them feel comfortable using this technology,” Rock said.

Paid positions are available for developers, engineers, project managers and business analysts.

The Difference:

"Yes, I expect good grades and all the usual stuff, but what I’m really looking for are students who have this insatiable desire to jump in and help and make a difference,” Rock said.

About the Drexel Co-op program: More than 98 percent of eligible undergraduate students at Drexel University participate in the co-op program, balancing full-time classes and up to three different internships during their time at Drexel. Students can choose from more than 1,600 employers in 33 states and 48 international locations — plus endless possibilities through self-arranged placements.