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A new way for students to connect with employers

(MoneyWatch) With the job market still tight, a promising new social networking site aims to help college students differentiate themselves from the competition. 

Seelio lets college upperclassmen highlight their skills by allowing them to assemble a portfolio and share it with potential employers. Users can post pictures, presentations, videos papers and other any other digital items that illustrate their credentials. Traditional resumes also may be posted, but it's these other materials that can enhance a person's marketability.

Seelio allows employers and recruiters to browse through student profiles and look for future employees based on their skills and experience. Employers can directly contact promising job candidates and post jobs through the site. Employers already using the networking site are Compuware, Teach for America, Under Armour and Airtime.

One review of Seelio by technology consulting firm Gemini sums up Seelio's potential perfectly: "Selio is the only known site to meld dynamic online work portfolios with a network of other job seekers and recruiters. The site mashes the professionalism of LinkedIn with the interactivity potential of Facebook and the attractive display of Pinterest to create a dedicated space to celebrate."

The startup grew out of an earlier service offered to students at the University of Michigan, which Seelio's founders attended, in January 2012. Within six months of the launch, 1,500 students and 150 employers had signed up.

Seelio, which gets its name from combining "see" with "portfolio," is free to students. Job seekers must have an "edu" email to use the platform. 

In this tough job market, students need a creative edge, and Seelio looks as promising as anything else I've seen.

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