Imagine applying for a systems administrator position at Yahoo with the knowledge that you have more years of education and experience than 80 percent of the other applicants.

Monster, a careers site based in Maynard, Mass., announced Jan. 17 it would be adding a feature that shares this information, along with a series of other site enhancements that aim to add transparency to the job-seeking process.

Noting that it is the first job site to add comparative search features, job applicants on Monster are now better able to see how they compare to other candidates applying for the same job and more easily track their application status.

The new comparative features aim to keep seekers better in-the-loop, from what percentage of other applicants share similar qualifications of education level and years of experience. Once a job application has been submitted or a resume posted online, the job hunter can follow employer activity.

Tracking features have also been added, permitting site visitors to see when job postings have been refreshed or modified, as well as maintain personal notes on each listing. Seekers can see how many times their public, searchable resume has been viewed and saved by employers via the resume database.

"Job seekers have long been frustrated by the 'black hole' of online recruiting, because companies often don't respond to all of the inquiries they receive," said Peter M. Zollman, founding principal of Classified Intelligence, in a statement.

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"Anything that helps job seekers stay better informed throughout the process is bound to be a big hit and improve the online recruiting experience for both job seekers and employers."

In addition, Monster is adding features to its job search capabilities, helping seekers more effectively refine, modify and augment their searches.

Searches can now be sorted by mileage from a targeted ZIP code, and related searches can be found through a new "more jobs like this" feature.

Monster redesigned its site earlier this month also in an effort to improve the user experience.

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