TechProfiles.com Offers Free Skills-Assessment ToolTechProfiles.com Offers Free Skills-Assessment Tool

Run-of-the-mill job boards that display resumes and not much else no longer stand out in a crowded market. So TechProfiles.com, a new recruitment site for the IT industry, hopes to draw attention by offering job seekers a free, built-in skills-assessment tool.

With the service, IT professionals can take online tests on more than 60 topics, ranging from Visual Basic to Oracle database development. Tests are graded instantly, which allows a "report card" on specific skills to be posted along with a resume.

While many job boards have been shifting from resumes to profile databases, the free skills-assessment tool gives TechProfiles.com an edge over competitors, says Chris Boone, an analyst with International Data Corp. "Job seekers are known to be extremely reluctant to pay for online services."

The service is free for IT job seekers, and employers are being offered a free 45-day trial period.