Upkey Launches New Platform Designed to Help Early-Career Job Seekers Overcome ATS Bias and Build Their Dream Careers

By HRTech News Desk On Feb 17, 2022

Upkey announced the release of a comprehensive new suite of online tools designed to level the playing field for job candidates who might otherwise be blocked from the career of their dreams. Headquartered in Chicago, Upkey focuses on providing career creation resources for underserved young professionals in high school, college, and beyond.

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Starting today, job seekers can sign up to Upkey and immediately gain access to a suite of tools that are easy to use and designed to optimize their chances of career success:

Job Portal: Directly access and apply for over 1 million curated early stage jobs and internships, including “hard-to-find” opportunities.
Resume Builder: Create new resumes from scratch, with certified templates designed by career experts.
Resume Scorer: Optimize and enhance resumes with customized suggestions for improved content and formatting for ATS systems.
Job Match Scorer: Match resumes against specific jobs before applying to identify and fill any requirement gaps.
Career Resources: Get access to free educational materials, such as the Career Creation Course, videos, and guides from HR experts, industry-leading professionals, and career consultants.

For many, starting a career can be especially challenging due to socio-economic barriers that limit their access to top opportunities. According to a recent Harvard Business study, millions of qualified job-seekers are erroneously rejected by resume screening software every year.

“We’re in the midst of a massive global talent shortage, and – when it matters the most – outdated and biased modern ATS systems have created a giant black hole between huge numbers of qualified, diverse candidates and the employers who badly want to hire them,” said Upkey CEO Amir Badr.

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In addition, many early career job seekers face education gaps, a lack of positive, supportive influences, and other challenges that block their path to a fulfilling career.

That’s why Upkey created a free online platform and community with all kinds of career-boosting tools, services and support to give everyone a better chance to find their dream career, regardless of their background.

“With this powerful new toolset, we can avoid the ‘black hole’ problem once and for all – helping companies expand their reach and welcome more diverse candidates in the process,” said Badr.

A LinkedIn Top Startup for 2020, Upkey raised $2.6 million in 2021, in a round led by S3 Ventures. Upkey has helped over 100,000 students benefit from its career readiness tools and courses and currently counts Purdue University, University of Central Florida, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Baylor University as some of its biggest partners.

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