Hunting for a job can be repetitive, frustrating work. Sometimes positions are filled almost as soon as they are published. Sometimes a candidate with lesser skills is chosen simply because they knew the right people, or were at the right place at the right time.

Motivated by placement fees, recruiters are often the most tactical of creatures. If a candidate is a possible match for a position, then they're all cozy. But as soon as the position's filled, they don't want to answer a call. Sometimes, they try to force-fit a candidate into a position. When that doesn't work, they give up on the candidate, overlooking a good match when it does arise. It's not that they're bad people, it's just the way the recruiting industry works.

Online job boards work sometimes, but they've a host of problems as well. They don't list every position, and they only list published positions. Sometimes the best jobs are created specifically for the candidate. The boards can also open up way too much competition for a position. And the online job boards are primarily interested in acting as a marketplace where employers and candidates can make connections. They're really not set up to be brokers or matchmakers. In fact, one could argue their financial motivation is in keeping positions open for a reasonable period of time.

Jobtain is an automated agent, that searches the internet constantly for people, companies and openings that would constitute a good match for a candidate. Jobtain:

1. Finds employers that need a candidate's skills
2. Finds people who may promote or support the candidate within a target organization
3. Finds organizations that may need the candidate before they publish the opening
4. Alerts a job seeker to a newly published opening at target employer

Jobtain routines trolls organization web sites for new job postings. But it goes ways beyond that. It reads the press to find out what an organization's management is saying, what they care about, what new sales they've closed, what goals they set at stockholder meetings. It also reads message boards and news groups to find out what other people are saying about the organization's strengths and weaknesses.

Jobtain gives a candidate the knowledge of how their skills can help solve a recognized problem. It can suggest who to contact and with what targetted message. Jobtain doesn't demand a placement fee, and it never gives up.

Jobtain is at the concept stage. No code has been written

Most of the links to the left are inoperative. The Wiki works, and that's the best place to post ideas at present.

If you are interested in helping to advance Jobtain, we would welcome your participation! Please feel free to post your thoughts on the Wiki, or send an email.