Cyber-match maker tackles job market

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Todd Forest has the habit of being in the right place at the right time.

He was at AOL in 1999 to debut the company's "You've Got Pictures" service on the eve of the digital-photography explosion.

Now, Mr. Forest is chief marketing officer at Market10, a second-generation online job marketplace that he and founder Rob McGovern expect to revolutionize the job search.

Unlike some of its well-known predecessors -- such as CareerBuilder.com or Monster.com -- the McLean company matches applicants and employers by rating them on a scale of compatibility from 1 to 10.

"A lot of people have referred to us as the EHarmony of the job space," Mr. Forest said, noting several ways Market10 has enhanced the online job-hunting experience.

The first wave of job sites do little more than encourage applicants to post resumes and employers to post jobs, Mr. Forest said, causing companies to waste hours sifting through hundreds of applications, many of which they find lacking.

Market10 surveys both job seekers and employers on a range of 10 factors, including, among others: ideal work environment, travel opportunities and income to education requirements, location and benefits. It then assigns a compatibility score based on the preferences of both parties.

Market10 also enables applicants and employers to store each other's information as "favorites" and allows each to see if the other has selected them as a favorite. That way, job seekers can avoid what Mr. Forest refers to as the "black hole" -- when they submit their resume for a job but never hear back.

"It helps create combustion" by giving both parties an idea where they stand, Mr. Forest said of the feature.

Mr. McGovern, who also founded CareerBuilder.com, said Mr. Forest will improve his new company's visibility.