Husky Jobs is much more than a job bank for graduating seniors. It's an exclusive online portal for UW students, alumni and employers actively searching for a position or candidate attuned to their specific career goals and passions, according to project spokespeople.

The Web site allows students to set up individual profiles and upload their resume, cover letter and transcript. e-mail notification of job fairs, campus interviews and alerts for new jobs are just a handful of the user-friendly features available on Husky Jobs.

Yesterday there were 1,639 listings for jobs and internships with options for narrowing a search, including: job functions, keywords and industry. The extensive employer database has more than 10,000 descriptions of companies from around the world.

"I did a recent search on Husky Jobs and found 330 internships, 390 part-time jobs and over 1,000 full-time listings," said Patrick Chidsey, career counselor at the UW career center.

Chidsey recommends students graduating in June start "exploring the market" and interviewing for jobs during fall and winter quarters, because many employers actively begin their search for new-hires in the fall.

"Unfortunately, the majority of students begin looking for a job after they have already walked for graduation, and with a market like this I still think they can find opportunities, but many employers hire much earlier than later," Chidsey said.

Beyond the traditional graduating senior, Husky Jobs has several opportunities for graduate students, transfer students and sophomores and juniors looking for internships. Companies like Google, Microsoft, Facebook, the Big 4 accounting firms, Apple Computer, Port of Seattle and PACCAR are among the big names on Husky Jobs, with several job offerings and on-campus interviews.

Once a student finds a job they are interested in applying for, the site details the requirements for the application and gives the option of uploading a resume and custom cover letter on the same page as the job ad. After the student uploads the files, a confirmation email is immediately sent to his or her inbox that summarizes the pending application and a timeline for notification of selected interview dates.

Husky Jobs also gives students the option to set up alerts under "advanced search" for email notifications of new jobs that follow custom selected criteria ,such as a geographic location or job title.

"We are looking for students who carry quantitative skills, who are analytical, comprehensive and have interpersonal skills," Macy's recruiter Katie Myers said.

Macy's was among several companies hosted at the UMCA job fair last week. Most companies at the job fair wanted students to apply on Husky Jobs rather than handing a resume directly to the recruiter.

UW students can go to careers.washington.edu and select Husky Jobs under "quick links," then set up an account and password to login and begin searching for a job or internship opportunity.

[Reach reporter Shanelle Smith at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]