At the Mercer County One-Stop Career Center on Wednesday, Acting Governor Kim Guadagno and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced the official launch of a job-search engine known as OnRamp.

As part of the department's Jobs4Jersey.com, the interactive tool would allow job-seekers to access job opportunities on 2,400 web sites. All job listings would be screened before they are put out to site users.

"As we work to improve our state's economy and create jobs for New Jersey families, the Christie Administration will use every tool possible to meet our top priority of putting people back to work," said Guadagno.

Acting Governor Kim Guadagno with Assistant Labor Commissioner Mary Ellen Clark
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According to Assistant Commissioner for Workforce Development Mary Ellen Clark, OnRamp has three key features: resume building, job matching and feedback.

The site would let visitors quickly upload their own resume or create a new, customized one. It would also offer an "extreme resume makeover". Job-seekers would get suggestions on how to make their resumes more effective.

The job matching feature has proved to be the most unique, according to Clark.

"Every person has a unique set of skills, and those skills can be transferable to other jobs," Clark said.

She said OnRamp can make recommendations for jobs that people wouldn't even know they were qualified for.

Also, the site would offer individual feedback if necessary, comparing users amongst each other.

"How do you stack up to others? What kind of education do they have? How much experience do they have?" explained Clark.

Clark said there are several advantages to OnRamp, compared to other job-search engines.

She continued, "There are no advertisements. There's no fee, and there's complete confidentiality of your data."

Princeton Junction resident Katie Finneran already utilized OnRamp during its soft launch period. She said it was very helpful and easy to use.

"It's another tool that job-seeker like me can use, and, considering the economy, you need as many tools as you can get."

The Department of Labor and Workforce Development implemented an outreach initiative designed to attract New Jersey residents to OnRamp. Hundreds of New Jersey Transit buses will carry a message for 12 weeks, covering major cities in the north and central portions of the state.


Courtesy Governor's Office

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