February 7, 2018
It’s a fresh new approach to finding that perfect job, and it comes at the right time
for this year’s seniors to get a jump start on finding their first positions as newly
graduated alumni. Just launched by the Center for Student Success and Engagement (CSSE),
“The Career Trail Online” is a software portal that helps to prepare students for
employment through a wide variety of services. It also serves as a resource for our
alumni who wish to find new jobs.
“MCLA saw a need for a fresh, new approach to career development on our campus,” said Dale Osef, MCLA’s career development specialist. “The Career Trail gives us the right platform to engage all internal and external stakeholders in helping MCLA students to think about career development as a holistic process that corresponds directly with their academic experience here.”
“The Career Trail Online” includes professional development training and assistance, a place to post resumes and search for jobs, and a place for employers to search for recent graduates. It allows students to make career counseling appointments at CSSE, and provides ways for students to connect directly with MCLA alumni or an employer who is willing to be a mentor.
“Career Trail,” by Purple Briefcase, is a top-of-the-line, industry standard for connecting students to employers, faculty, staff, alumni, and more. It connects students not only to local, regional, and global employers, but also to members of the MCLA community, like faculty and alumni, who also can assist them with their job searches.
“One of many very exciting features of the ‘Career Trail’ software is that employers large and small, near and far have easy access to it. Students have the opportunity to connect with international employers like Wells Fargo, and also may apply to local organizations like Barton Associates and Berkshire Business Interns,” Osef said.
Through “Career Trail,” faculty have the opportunity to search databases that show where MCLA students have completed internships, or have been hired for fulltime work. “This allows students to reach out and build their own relationships with employers, and they also will have the Career Development Center as a resource to facilitate those introductions,” Osef said.
“Alumni have multiple opportunities to interact with our students. First, they may post jobs to recruit fellow MCLA grads at any point. Perhaps more importantly, approved alumni can take on student mentees through ‘The Career Trail.’ Like LinkedIn, these connections may serve as a critical first step in developing a student’s professional network, based on field of interest, geography, or other reasons,” Osef added.
“Career Trail” also comes with a mentor module, sponsored this year by MCLA’s Advancement Office. Approved mentors who are interested in connecting with students simply create an employer account and select how many students they wish to take on as mentees.
Employers, too, may access “The Career Trail” via www.mcla.edu/careertrail after they submit a brief profile about their company, through the employer tab. “Then, they will be ready to post jobs to our system,” Osef explained. “Employers also may register directly through this system to participate in future career fairs.”
