This semester big changes were made in the Office for Career and Personal Development, most notably a transition from the internship and job tool Handshake to the Knight Career Network.
Both provide listings of opportunities based on student interests, but The Knight Career Network is more customizable.
“Knight Career Network offers a more student-friendly streamlined system with additional resources that Handshake did not offer, including a resume builder, mock interviews, and a place for the pre-internship workout,” said Kara Shone, assistant director for career and personal development. “When the contract with Handshake ended, we thought it would be a good opportunity for the students. We’ve been able to create different pathways for our students and use the different features in a way that caters to what our students’ needs are.”
There have also been changes made to the internship process due to the switch to Knight Career Network.
Before, students would have to set up a specific date and time and reserve a room to attend a pre-internship workshop. Now students can do it whenever they want thanks to a new process on Knight Career Network which involves making an account and taking a brief online course.
Focus2Career is another new service found on the Office for Career and Personal Development’s website.
It is a career assessment tool that students can log into and complete assessments to get results on careers that would fit their personal characteristics. It also provides information on salaries, field growth, and skills needed for specific careers. Shone recommends students do all five assessments on Focus2Career and then meet with a counselor.
Time will tell how well the system works and how well students like it, but so far things are running smoothly.
“We’ve had several students go through the new system and students have had minimal problems. All students already have an account with Knight Career Network, and I hope students use the new features such as the mock interviews, and resume builder,” said Shone.