Career management system

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating career management in an online environment, the method performed by a computer, the method comprising:

acquiring via a player user interface, preliminary player information from a player including a player's current career position and the player's future career goals;

generating a virtual career path for the player based on the player's current career position and the player's future career goals, the virtual career path including one or more challenges for the player to complete in the online environment, wherein completion of the one or more challenges causes the player to gain skills relevant to reaching the player's future career goals;

presenting, via the player user interface, a visual representation of the virtual career path including the one or more challenges;

tracking completion of the one or more challenges in the online environment; and

responsive to the completion of the one or more challenges, indicating via the player user interface, a representation of an award given to the player for completion of the one or more challenges, and updating the player's progress on the virtual career path based on the one or more completed challenges.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a member of the player's social network;

sharing the virtual career path with a member of the player's social network; and

including the member of the player's social network in at least one of the one or more challenges.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a representation of the player's progress on the virtual career path to an employer, the representation reflecting the player's completed challenges; and

providing a mechanism enabling the employer to contact the player.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

responsive to the player achieving a threshold level of progress on the career path, providing the player access to at least one of: a job listing not previously available to the player, contact information for a professional service not previously available to the player, and an additional challenge not previously available to the player.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a game master interface for allowing an entity to submit a customized challenge relevant to a particular career goal, the customized challenge reflective of skills desirable to reach the particular career goal;

receiving via the game master interface a representation of the customized challenge; and

presenting via the player interface, the customized challenge to the player.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a co-player interface for receiving interactions from a co-player;

presenting via the co-player interface, a request to assist the player in completion of the one or more challenges;

receiving via the co-player interface, information for assisting the player; and

providing via the player interface, the information from the co-player to the player.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more challenges comprises at least one of: a cooperative challenge involving one or more other players, and a competitive challenge involving one or more other players.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for facilitating career management in an online environment, the instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform steps including:

acquiring, via a player user interface, preliminary player information from a player including a player's current career position and the player's future career goals;

generating a virtual career path for the player based on the player's current career position and the player's future career goals, the virtual career path including one or more challenges for the player to complete in the online environment, wherein completion of the one or more challenges causes the player to gain skills relevant to reaching the player's future career goals;

presenting, via the player user interface, a visual representation of the virtual career path including the one or more challenges;

tracking completion of the one or more challenges in the online environment; and

responsive to the completion of the one or more challenges, indicating via the player user interface, a representation of an award given to the player for completion of the one or more challenges, and updating the player's progress on the virtual career path based on the one or more completed challenges.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , the instructions when executed further causing the processor to perform steps including:

determining a member of the player's social network;

sharing the virtual career path with a member of the player's social network; and

including the member of the player's social network in at least one of the one or more challenges.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , the instructions when executed further causing the processor to perform steps including:

providing a representation of the player's progress on the virtual career path to an employer, the representation reflecting the player's completed challenges; and

providing a mechanism enabling the employer to contact the player.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , the instructions when executed further causing the processor to perform steps including:

responsive to the player achieving a threshold level of progress on the career path, providing the player access to at least one of: a job listing not previously available to the player, contact information for a professional service not previously available to the player, and an additional challenge not previously available to the player.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , the instructions when executed further causing the processor to perform steps including:

providing a game master interface for allowing an entity to submit a customized challenge relevant to a particular career goal, the customized challenge reflective of skills desirable to reach the particular career goal;

receiving via the game master interface a representation of the customized challenge; and

presenting via the player interface, the customized challenge to the player.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , the instructions when executed further causing the processor to perform steps including:

providing a co-player interface for receiving interactions from a co-player;

presenting via the co-player interface, a request to assist the player in completion of the one or more challenges;

receiving via the co-player interface, information for assisting the player; and

providing via the player interface, the information from the co-player to the player.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the one or more challenges comprises at least one of: a cooperative challenge involving one or more other players, and a competitive challenge involving one or more other players.

15. A system for facilitating career management in an online environment, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, the instructions when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform steps including:

acquiring, via a player user interface, preliminary player information from a player including a player's current career position and the player's future career goals;

generating a virtual career path for the player based on the player's current career position and the player's future career goals, the virtual career path including one or more challenges for the player to complete in the online environment, wherein completion of the one or more challenges causes the player to gain skills relevant to reaching the player's future career goals;

presenting, via the player user interface, a visual representation of the virtual career path including the one or more challenges;

tracking completion of the one or more challenges in the online environment; and

responsive to the completion of the one or more challenges, indicating via the player user interface, a representation of an award given to the player for completion of the one or more challenges, and updating the player's progress on the virtual career path based on the one or more completed challenges.

16. The system of claim 15 , the instructions when executed further causing the one or more processors to perform steps including:

determining a member of the player's social network;

sharing the virtual career path with a member of the player's social network; and

including the member of the player's social network in at least one of the one or more challenges.

17. The system of claim 15 , the instructions when executed further causing the one or more processors to perform steps including:

providing a representation of the player's progress on the virtual career path to an employer, the representation reflecting the player's completed challenges; and

providing a mechanism enabling the employer to contact the player.

18. The system of claim 15 , the instructions when executed further causing the one or more processors to perform steps including:

responsive to the player achieving a threshold level of progress on the career path, providing the player access to at least one of: a job listing not previously available to the player, contact information for a professional service not previously available to the player, and an additional challenge not previously available to the player.

19. The system of claim 15 , the instructions when executed further causing the one or more processors to perform steps including:

providing a game master interface for allowing an entity to submit a customized challenge relevant to a particular career goal, the customized challenge reflective of skills desirable to reach the particular career goal;

receiving via the game master interface a representation of the customized challenge; and

presenting via the player interface, the customized challenge to the player.

20. The system of claim 15 , the instructions when executed further causing the one or more processors to perform steps including:

providing a co-player interface for receiving interactions from a co-player;

presenting via the co-player interface, a request to assist the player in completion of the one or more challenges;

receiving via the co-player interface, information for assisting the player; and

providing via the player interface, the information from the co-player to the player.