Want to know what career is a natural fit? How about building and posting a resume online? Need help finding the perfect job?

Student-athletes have new tools at their disposal to do all the above, thanks to a new Web site born from a partnership among the NCAA, Monster and CBS Sports.

In December, the NCAA, in conjunction with corporate partner Monster (the leading global online careers site and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide) and CBS, announced a new tool -- NCAA CareerCoach, which is an online device to help guide current student-athletes in career development and provide tools and strategies to pursue job opportunities. While the primary audience of NCAA CareerCoach is student-athletes, any student can access the site for career exploration and job searches.

It's an example of an initiative NCAA corporate partners can develop that not only promotes the company but also the NCAA brand.

Student-athletes can access NCAA CareerCoach at ncaacareercoach.com or through the Association's Web site at ncaa.org. The site features career-planning tips such as resume writing, interviewing guidelines and networking techniques. Student-athletes who sign up and register at the site will have access to additional resources designed to enhance their ability to make smart career choices during their collegiate experience. These resources include an account profile, job-search agents, and storage of personally created resumes and cover letters. The search agent uses job criteria chosen by the user to search the job-posting database and delivers an e-mail to the user detailing postings that match the criteria. The resumes and cover letters are housed with easy access for editing.

Though NCAA CareerCoach has only recently been launched, some student-athletes already have explored the site.

"It combines so many resources into one student-friendly Web site," said Amanda Mahan, a student-athlete from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. "It is nice to be able to go to one site and be able to post your resume, look up grants and scholarships, and make a four-year career plan."

"I think the Web site is a very helpful tool for collegiate athletes, or anyone for that matter," said Albion College's Katie Kelly. "It gives very useful information about things that people tend to take for granted while searching for a job, or preparing for one. The information provided in the site is something that we aren't taught in school, or things that we don't think about, especially when we are so busy with classes and athletics.

"I was not aware that the NCAA provided information like this on the Internet to students. I know that I will be using it as a reference in the future."

NCAA CareerCoach also will include targeted links to MonsterTRAK, a product of Monster that is a campus-specific career resource for students and alumni trying to find full-time jobs, internships and part-time work. MonsterTRAK jobs are posted for students and alumni of specific colleges and universities.

Monster became a corporate partner in April 2003, signing a multi-year contract with CBS Sports, which markets the NCAA corporate-partner program on behalf of the Association. Through the partnership, Monster has the rights to use NCAA marks throughout the United States including activation around the Association's 88 championships in 23 sports. Monster also can participate in on-site activities at the championships.

Monster's association with the NCAA began in 2000 when the two organizations were contemplating an initiative that would provide a professional development track for women and minorities in athletics. Those discussions evolved into a concept for a Web-based hiring tool that would tailor the focus on career and job issues for student-athletes.

Monster proposed the creation of a Web site similar to the USOC's TeamUSAnet site (a hiring tool for Olympians and former Olympians through the United States Olympic Committee), but to customize it toward student-athletes.

"The many discussions over a three-year period culminated with Monster becoming a part of the corporate-partner program," said David Knopp, NCAA director of strategic activation. "In the agreement, Monster pays CBS for promotional and advertising rights, and in return the NCAA benefits from a student-athlete career resource."

From Monster's standpoint, partnering with the NCAA allows it the opportunity to extend the same message that has made the Olympic sponsorship such a success. Monster believes in helping amateur athletes manage their careers and in aiding the transition from the world of sports to the professional work world.

"Monster has benefited from the opportunity to help thousands of student-athletes embark on their post-collegiate careers," said Steve Pogorzelski, president of Monster, North America. "Now, NCAA CareerCoach will offer these job seekers even easier access to an array of career resources and services designed to help them succeed in finding the perfect job."

"This partnership shows the solid value of what a corporation can bring to student-athletes through the Association," Knopp said. "NCAA CareerCoach helps young adults line up career choices after campus life. The solid tools from NCAA CareerCoach make the student-athlete experience much richer, because it reaches beyond the experiences on the playing field."