Online employment company brings integrity to the Internet

Susan Schell

of the Gateway

An online employment service has just hit the Internet. In January, a group of Gig Harbor professionals launched Pursut.com with one goal in mind: to match qualified candidates with employers.

CEO Alison Bennett hopes to create an employment tool that streamlines the process of job hunting into a simplified, organized system.

“A lot of the online job sites out there are too complicated,” she said. “They’re confusing to job seekers. We want to simplify the process and make it easier.

“Right now employers are overwhelmed,” she said. “We want to eliminate the ‘lookie-loos’ and take people who are ready to take the job, knowing full well this the right job for them.”

Pursut specializes in job matching for the medical, energy, technical and government fields. The Pursut site automatically will compile job-hunting information into one folder, where employees can keep track of which jobs they’ve applied for and where they are in the hiring process.

“You can create a resume on-site that will be protected from third-party recruiters,” Bennett said. “We find out if a job posting is from a legitimate employer. My responsibility is to make a place where employers and candidates connect.”

Bennett said most online job sites have a 95 percent failure rate. Her company aims to eliminate job board gimmicks and keep people in touch without muddying the water.

“Most Web sites just give you one piece of the pie,” Bennett said. “Our site is total recruitment, from A to Z. People shouldn’t have to play the waiting game.”

Pursut only deals directly with employers and job seekers. The Web site will have virtual tours of businesses, so candidates can get a glimpse of a company’s work environment and not waste their time interviewing for jobs they don’t want.

“Some people want to work in a high-rise,” Bennett said. “Some people want high-tech situations, while others want an environment that’s more artsy. If people don’t like their environment, they won’t stay at a job long and it will be a waste of both the employee’s and the employer’s time.”

“What’s sadly lacking in companies is that they don’t provide enough information so people can make informed decisions,” said Tara Sorensen, the director of marketing.

Bennett, who was a recruiter for 14 years, said she has an ability to pick up on the intangibles — signals that people give out besides what they’re saying.

“When it comes to recruiting, I know what it takes to make a match,” she said.

“I hear things differently when people speak to me. I’m trained to look for what people really want. Even if their skills match the job, it won’t work if they’re not going to like it.”

Bennett has been working closely with veterans’ organizations in order to provide jobs for military personnel who are returning from war.

“The military are some of the most highly trained individuals out there,” she said. “They have these great skills, and they’ve been out there putting their lives on the line so we can sit and have coffee. We have to get the military trained into emerging industries.”

One mistake job seekers make, Bennett said, is feeling like they’re stuck in a particular job category when their skills are actually transferable to other fields.

“Skills can be applied to many positions,” she said. “People get hung up on job titles when they really need to look at job descriptions and see what it actually entails. If they read exactly what a job description is, they might say, ‘Oh, I can do that.’ ”

“There’s a lot of misbeliefs people have about skills,” Sorensen added. “Don’t be afraid to cross the line. List your skills generically.”

The Pursut.com program helps employees who are looking for jobs in other areas find out whether or not they can afford to live in that area and avoid costly mistakes.

“The No. 1 issue in Seattle is that the cost of living is higher than the national average,” Bennett said. “Someone coming from Oklahoma City wouldn’t be prepared for that. We give them that information before they hit the ‘Apply’ button.”

Bennett said she has high hopes for her company and added that the Web site has been getting great reviews.

“If there’s one word that can sum up this company, it would be ‘integrity,’ ” she said. “This company is built on integrity. We don’t think you should be profitable at other peoples’ expense.”

Sorensen said they know they’re going to be successful.

“We offer the tools and services for employees and a great product for less that’s accessible to employers,” Sorensen said. “We’re not going to offer something we can’t deliver.”

Visit Pursut online

Pursut.com aims to match employers and job seekers together in a win-win situation. For more information, visit www.pursut.com.

Reach Lifestyles Coordinator and reporter Susan Schell at 253-853-9240 or by e-mail at susan.schell@gateline.com.