Web site offers tools to manage, organize career

April 2, 2009 by Shane Collins 

CareerScribe has timeline portfolio, video capabilities

Sitting at home with your chin in your hands thinking about the next step in your job hunt is not going to get you anywhere, especially as the economy continues to tank and the unemployment rate skyrockets.

CareerScribe, a Web-based career management tool, is the next big thing for job seekers looking to separate themselves from the rest. Creator Jeff Bockelman said will be essential to getting a career.

Right out of college, Bockelman got an accounting job at a large firm, but ended up in recruiting after a couple of years.  After becoming accustomed to recruiting, he partnered with a couple friends and started his own recruiting business that was worth more than $10 million after nine years.

“I basically took what I learned and realized there are some things missing out there that aren’t being provided,” he said. “I interviewed hundreds of people, worked with professionals and companies and there seemed to be a gap in Web-based applications.”

The result: CareerScribe.com, a site that took eight months to create and launched in September. 

Bockelman explained that the site is designed to thoroughly manage one’s career by providing the tools necessary to organize all professional accomplishments.

“When I ask people how they use online tools in general, how do they represent themselves, they refer to Facebook as a tool to manage their career,” he said. “Those were not designed for career management and they miss much of the functionality of CareerScribe.”

Bockelman added that the site offers easy tools needed to fully manage a career, without the distractions other sites have.

A profile on CareerScribe is free and remains intact indefinitely allowing for greater views by potential employers.

The site’s features offer in depth portfolio building capabilities such as Career Tracker, which allows users to “scrapbook” their greatest accomplishments.  Furthermore, Career Tracker is in a timeline format, so successful presentations, letters of recommendation, college diplomas and papers written can all be viewed on the timeline.

“Career Tracker is a virtual, timeline portfolio, something I believe will replace résumés,” Bockelman said. “You can attach physical documentation that will support and prove what you are saying.”

Users can also upload short introduction videos explaining what is important to them in a career, explaining pieces on Career Tracker or to simply tell potential employers a little about themselves. 

“When you add the element of video, you can actually explain those events on Career Tracker in short clips,” Bockelman said. “Now you’ve created this tool that someone can navigate, they can look at what you’ve done, see documentation and listen to you explain it.”

He added that these are the steps that usually happen in a first interview, anyway.

In addition, users can create a personal URL that can be sent to potential employers, mentors or peers, who don’t have to be registered to CareerScribe. This allows many more people to visually see accomplishments in an aesthetically pleasing format.

Bockelman explained that CareerScribe provides employers with a pre-screen of potential employees before bringing them in for an interview, a step that may cost money and time.

“For companies, we’re creating a front-end tool that involves meeting candidates, inviting candidates to consider a job and establishing that line of communication between employer and job applicant,” he said.

Career counselor Paul Carpino said companies are continually looking for new ways to recruit in order to save money and still meet the needs of their organization making tools like CareerScribe important for students.

“It’s not unusual for employers to contact job candidates after they subscribe to Web sites like this,” Carpino said.  “It allows potential employers to seek and review electronic profiles of candidates they believe are good for their company.”

However, Carpino added that the downside to a career Web site is that students may find themselves receiving communication from companies outside their field of expertise that are looking to fill positions.

In a poor economy, it is important for students to use different outlets that normally wouldn’t be utilized, such as Web-based applications, but the basics of job searching are still the same, he explained.

“In an economy like this, most people are going to find their jobs through referrals, through their network, friends, counselors or family,” Carpino said. “It’s still the strongest way for a student to get a job, whether it is an internship, a summer job or a career path.  It’s still about whom you know and who knows you.”

Still, as for employers coming in contact with a wide range of candidates, and for candidates looking to extend their job search, Bockelman said the Web is the way.

“[This down economy] isn’t just a little blip,” he said. “This is like a meteorite hitting the earth. It’s going to change the job climate forever and it’s forcing changes in career search into the limelight.”