Career management tools and network

• US 7,213,019 B1
• Filed: 05/14/2002
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aftercollege, Inc.
• Original Assignee: After College Incorporated
• Inventors: Angulo Noris, Roberto, Bertran Ortiz, Ana Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali; Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US10/145,597
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-205, 709/223, 705 8- 11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

Group-Specific “Career Management Tools” allow groups (a sample of which include: academic departments at colleges and universities, academic groups, campus fraternity chapters, professional group chapters, and any cluster of individuals that identifies itself as a group), to manage their career-related activity on-line, through a tool containing functionality that includes, but is not limited to: a group-specific resume database, a group-specific job database, and a group-specific alumni database. Career Management Tools provide career-related information for group members, and such information is targeted specifically to the group. Information is entered into the Career Management Tool by group members (such as students, faculty, department administrators, group officers, and alumni), or by entities trying to target group members. Career Management Tools are deployed on a group'"'"'s web site, and are branded to the group site'"'"'s look and feel and they are accessible from the group'"'"'s web site.

Claims

1. A method of targeting qualified candidates comprising:

identifying a first group of associated candidates on a computer accessible via the internet said first group of associated candidates sharing a first common qualification;

further identifying at least one additional candidate qualification associated with each said first group of candidates;

identifying a second group of associated candidates on a computer accessible via the internet said associated candidates sharing a second common qualification wherein said second common qualification is different from said first common qualification;

further identifying at least one additional candidate qualification associated with each of said second group of candidates;

establishing a first database of available opportunities on a computer accessible via the internet;

associating at least two desired qualifications for each of said opportunities in said first database;

establishing a second database of said first group of associated candidates, their first common qualification and their additional candidate qualifications;

establishing a third database of said second group of associated candidates, their second common qualification and their additional candidate qualifications;

comparing said first and said second common qualifications and said additional candidate qualifications contained in said second and third databases with said at least two desired qualifications contained in said first database to produce comparison results; and

using said comparison results to provide information concerning individual candidates from said first and said second group of associated candidates to a provider of said available opportunities.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first common qualification is an affiliation of said first group of associated candidates to a first college, university, community college, school, professional association, or other educational facility.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said second common qualification is an affiliation of said second group of associated candidates to a second college, university, community college, school, professional association, or other educational facility.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one additional candidate qualification is selected from the group consisting of a grade point average within a range of grade point averages, an associated major, membership in an academic department, membership in an academic student group, membership in an honor society, membership in a fraternity chapter, membership in a professional group chapter, and ethnicity-focused groups.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said available opportunity is selected from the group consisting of employment opportunities, research position opportunities, teaching position opportunities, and educational opportunities.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said second database includes information on non-candidate individuals who share the first common qualification with said associated candidates.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said first common qualification is association with an educational facility and said non-candidate individuals are one of an alumni and a faculty member of said educational facility.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said second database also includes information pertaining to at least one of group specific news and events, job fairs, and bulletin boards associated with said first common qualification.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said first data base, said second data base and said third data base are incorporated into a career management network tool.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein a front end of said career management network tool is hosted on a server of an educational facility or a server of a professional organization.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein a display of said front end of said career management network tool is capable of being customized for incorporation into web pages associated with said educational facility or said professional organization.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein a back end of said career management network tool is hosted on a server of a service provider.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said back end is accessed via a hyperlink on a web site of an educational facility.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said first database, said second data base and said third databases are hosted on a server of a service provider.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said opportunities are employment opportunities and said employment opportunities are associated with potential employers where said potential employers pay a fee for inclusion of their employment opportunities in said first database.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said employment opportunities entered by said potential employers include at least two desired qualifications and said desired qualifications are compared to one of said first and said second common qualifications and said additional candidate qualifications.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

including scholarship information and at least one scholarship qualification in said second database,

comparing one of said candidate qualifications with said at least one scholarship qualification; and

using results of said comparison to provide scholarship information to one or more candidates possessing said at least one candidate qualification.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

including financial aid information and at least one financial aid qualification in said second database,

comparing said at least one candidate qualification with said at least one financial aid qualification; and

using results of said comparison to provide said financial aid information to one or more candidates possessing said at least one candidate qualification.

19. A method of targeting opportunities comprising:

identifying a first group of associated candidates on a computer accessible via the internet, said first group of associated candidates sharing a first common qualification;

further identifying at least one additional candidate qualification associated with each of said first group of candidates;

identifying a second group of associated candidates on a computer accessible via the internet said associated candidates sharing a second common qualification wherein said second common qualification is different from said first common qualification;

further identifying at least one additional candidate qualification associated with each of said second group of candidates;

establishing a first database of available opportunities on a computer accessible via the internet;

associating at least two desired qualifications for each of said opportunities in said first database;

comparing one of said first and said second common qualifications and said additional candidate qualifications with said at least two desired qualifications contained in said first database to produce comparison results; and

using said comparison results to provide information concerning at least one of said opportunities from said first database to at least one individual candidate from said first and said second group.

20. A career management network used for matching qualified candidates for employment with potential employers, said network comprising:

a career management network tool affiliated with a first educational facility including a first database of candidates on a computer accessible via the internet, said candidates each being associated with said first educational facility wherein said first database includes additional candidate qualifications for each of said candidates;

a career management network tool affiliated with a second educational facility including a second database of candidates on a computer accessible via the internet, said candidates each being associated with said second educational facility wherein said second educational facility is different from said first educational facility wherein said second database includes additional candidate qualifications for each of said candidates;

a career management network provider including a third database of available positions on a computer accessible via the internet, wherein said third database includes desired qualifications for each of said positions in said third database;

a comparator for comparing said desired qualifications contained in said third database with said candidate qualifications contained in said first and second databases; and

using results of said comparator to provide information concerning positions associated with said desired qualifications to the candidates possessing said desired qualifications.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein a front end of said career management tool is hosted on a server of an educational facility.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein a display of said front end of said career management network tool is capable of being customized from incorporation into web pages associated with said educational facility.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein a back end of said career management tool is hosted on a sever of a service provider.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said back end is accessed via a hyperlink on a web site of an educational facility.

25. A career management network used for matching qualified candidates for employment with potential employers, said network comprising:

a career management network tool affiliated with a first educational facility including a first database of candidates on a computer accessible via the internet, said candidates each being associated with said first educational facility wherein said first database includes additional candidate qualifications for each of said candidates;

a career management network tool affiliated with a second educational facility including a second database of candidates on a computer accessible via the internet, said candidates each being associated with said second educational facility wherein said second educational facility is different from said first educational facility wherein said second database includes additional candidate qualifications for each of said candidates;

a career management network provider including a third database of available positions on a computer accessible via the internet, wherein said third database includes desired qualifications for each of said positions in said third database;

a comparator for comparing said desired qualifications contained in said third database with said candidate qualifications contained in said first and second databases; and

using results of said comparator to provide information concerning candidates associated with said desired qualifications to the providers of said opportunities.