Career services don’t stop: Fleishman Center services excel throughout pandemic
Though many spring career events had already occurred prior to students leaving campus, such as the JCPenney Suit Up and the job and internship fairs, the Fleishman Center was eager to ensure that career services didn’t stop amid the pandemic. The Fleishman Center pivoted and continued to serve students virtually through every means possible, including phone, email and Zoom meetings.
The center quickly ensured that career services were still available to students. Internship program coordinators worked with employers to transition credit-bearing internships to virtual experiences. Appointments were transitioned to Zoom meetings and staff increased the number of appointments available in addition to expanding appointment hours to meet student needs. Scheduled workshops were transitioned to a virtual format and were recorded, allowing students to access them anytime through an online video library. A COVID-19 career resources webpage containing resources regarding the job or internship search during the pandemic was developed and regularly updated with new information. Resources included articles from trusted sources discussing ways for students to build skills online for free and a listing of websites dedicated to virtual/remote opportunities as well as keyword search tips on finding remote/virtual opportunities on traditional job boards.
Spring CONNECT Washington, D.C., and Silicon Valley employer treks were offered to students virtually. The center worked with partner career offices on campus to schedule a total of 14 treks through Zoom with organizations such as the U.S. State Department, Intel, Salesforce and PwC, and a total of 132 unique students participated, taking advantage of the opportunity to build connections with employers. On average, 13 students attended each DC trek and 27 students attended each Silicon Valley trek.
In addition to the regular career programming, the center was quick to schedule a Career Insights Alumni Panel in April for students preparing to enter the uncertain job market in May. During the webinar, three notable alumni speakers, Dan Black ‘94 (EY), Lisa Abbott ‘93 (Lifespan) and Jim Bankoski ‘91 (Google), provided students with a positive outlook. Nearly 150 students attended the live webinar and received information on hiring trends, industry changes and sound career advice.
New programs were also developed, such as the Alumni Live Lunch Interview (ALL-In) series. Each week, a career consultant conducts interviews on Instagram with recent alumni to talk about their job, career advice and even answer student questions live. Recordings are available and can be found on the Fleishman Center’s website.
Understanding that many soon-to-be graduates are facing an uncertain job market, Fleishman Center staff took several actions to reach seniors and ensure they are set up for post-graduate success. Personalized messages were sent to seniors from career consultants that encouraged them to schedule appointments. The center announced the extension of career services for the class of 2020, giving recent alumni access to Fleishman Center career consultants and resources for one year following their graduation. The center also partnered with the Alumni Association to purchase a one-year subscription to LinkedIn Learning for the class of 2020, to allow graduates to continue building their marketable skills.
Throughout the pandemic, the Fleishman Center has embraced technology, transitioned services and programs to virtual formats whenever possible, and found ways to ensure that career development was not put on hold for students during the pandemic.