Modern Career Guidance Platform Talentoday Launches in the US, University of Pennsylvania, UC-Davis Among Early Adopters

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, February 20, 2014 (Press-News.org) Against a backdrop of 44 percent underemployment among 22- to 27-year-olds*, Talentoday, an online career guidance platform that offers recent graduates and career experts innovative tools in professional assistance, launched today in the US, providing much-needed support for young professionals who seek direction in an uncertain economic climate.

"Outdated career guidance methods are leaving students and professionals underserved. At Talentoday, we are changing the way people find a job by giving them invaluable insight into themselves and compatible career paths," said Pierre-Francois Verley, Talentoday co-founder and CEO.

Talentoday provides powerful, scientific-based career guidance solutions to help identify an individual's unique assets, strengths and motivation, leading to a more fulfilling and successful career. Talentoday makes its products available in two ways: students and professionals can log onto the site and take the online assessment for free, and universities and companies can purchase Talentoday's talent management software and integrate it into their own career counseling and human resources services. US customers at launch include Columbia University, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Purdue University North Central and the University of California - Davis.

Talentoday's US launch follows a successful debut in Europe. In less than a year the company has partnered with more than 70 of the world's top universities. In addition, the Adecco Group, a leading staffing and recruiting agency, recently signed on to use the Talentoday platform with interns and trainees.

"Talentoday is the future of career guidance," said Martin Ryssen, co-founder and COO. "The major personality assessment tests used in coaching today date from the 1950s, and many career assessment tools are either expensive or simply inaccessible for most professionals. It's time for open access and a fresh perspective."

A December 2013 Talentoday survey of students in the US, Canada and Europe underscores students' career struggles: 59 percent of respondents said their biggest challenge in finding or deciding on a career is that they don't know what they want to do, while another 38 percent are unclear where to start. Talentoday provides a free, easy and positive way for students - and all professionals - to know themselves better so they can be more confident in the future.

Professionals who have taken the assessment report improved direction and career-readiness: 87 percent of respondents to a June 2013 survey said Talentoday helped them identify strengths and areas for improvement, 60 percent said it helped them establish a professional goal, and 67 percent said it helped them prepare for job interviews.

Talentoday's management team is comprised of accredited psychologists and career guidance experts who specialize in psychometric analysis, technology, and the career guidance industry. The board of directors includes experienced executives from leading organizations such as LinkedIn, HP and Cisco.

The Talentoday assessment is the result of collaboration between psychologists, counseling and recruitment experts, assessment professionals, engineers and researchers from the CNRS (National Center of Scientific Research, France). The company's psychologists are members of the American Psychological Association and Talentoday is an affiliated member of the International Test Commission.

*Economists with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that underemployment of recent graduates (aged 22 to 27) reached 44 percent in 2012. Underemployed graduates are working in jobs that don't require a college degree.

A global leader in modern-day career guidance, Talentoday is improving the effectiveness and outcomes for individuals seeking to know themselves better to help find their dream job. The online community-based career guidance platform automates and simplifies the guidance process by providing a free assessment for individuals and a comprehensive guidance platform for career counselors that accelerates and scales effective job placement as well as identifies career path opportunities. Talentoday is partnered with more than 80 of the world's top universities and to date has helped assess and place dozens of thousands individuals. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Talentoday also has operations in Paris, France. For more information, visit http://www.talentoday.com.