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ConsumerWatch: Job Seekers Offer Rewards For Leads

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) -- For many, finding a job can be a challenge. But there is a new website called Career Element that lets job seekers post their desired position along with a reward.

Kim Daly wants to be a personal assistant. Daly said she is willing to pay $1,500 to anyone that helps her land a job. "I thought it was a great opportunity versus the traditional sending your resume out there or responding to different posts," she said.

Founder Paul Campbell said he got the idea last year when he was searching for a job.

"I wanted to work at Facebook and I thought I'd pay about $7,000 for that job," he said. But since there was nowhere to place his offer, he decided to create the website.

"For the most part, people on Career Element are job seekers and recruiters and agents," he said.

But Denise Klienrichert, a business professor at San Francisco State University said taking money to find someone a job could raise some questions.

"It could potentially pose an ethical dilemma for businesses worrying about their own internal employees tipping off people about positions," she said.

Campbell said that shouldn't be a concern. "The company will still vet each of the candidates and it's going to be the best candidate that gets the job," he said. "What we do is accelerate the job search process." The website has attracted many job hunters from various fields. As for Daly, she is hoping her job bounty will lead her to the right job.

(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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