First-Year students: For students in their first year, it is important to start thinking now about possible career paths, and use their time in higher education to prepare. Here are some ways a first-year student might utilize the platform:
Take our Personality Assessment: students can take this short assessment to understand their qualities, tendencies, and preferences, and then explore top majors and job titles that align with their personality.
Identify top skills through Search 360: have students search our data set by major or job title to see the top skills for their major or desired job title. Students can start creating a plan for developing these skills, both in the classroom and through high-impact practices such as internships or co-ops.
Check out this webinar, where we discuss Career Exploration from Orientation to the First Year Experience.
Undecided students or students looking to change their major: The sooner a student is able to decide on a major, the faster they will graduate and the less debt they will accumulate. Here are some ways an undecided student might utilize the platform:
Take our Personality Assessment: students can take this short assessment to understand their qualities, tendencies, and preferences, and then explore top majors and job titles that align with their personality.
Explore alumni data through Outcomes: If a student is considering a major in psychology, but doesn’t know what other graduates have done with that degree, they can use the Outcomes tool to filter the data by degree type, and see what companies psychology alum work for, and what job functions they hold. For students considering changing their major, this is a great way to explore what their new major might lead to.
Identify top skills and career paths through Search 360: have students search our data set by major or job title to see the top skills for their major or desired job title. Students can see career paths from real people, and use the data to determine which paths most align with their interests.
“Decided” Students: For students who feel confident in their major and/or career path, the Digital Career Counselor is a great tool for learning more about their field of interest and preparing for their future career. Here are some ways a “decided” student might utilize the platform:
Review curated content on their home page: By updating their career interests, students can see career content specific to their interests. Their feed contains valuable information about their field(s) of interest, and can keep them up to date on industry trends.
Identify top skills and career paths through Search 360: have students search our data set by major or job title to see the top skills for their major or desired job title. Students can see career paths from real people, and use the data to consider how they might mold their own career path, and what steps their journey may hold. Additionally, students can view top skills and make a plan for how they can develop those skills before graduation.
Students looking for internships: Internships are a critical part of a student’s journey through higher education, and can be an invaluable way to gain hands-on experience. Here are some ways a student looking for an internship might utilize the platform:
Review curated content on their home page: By updating their career interests, students can see career content specific to their interests that can help prepare them for their internship search.
Explore alumni data through Outcomes: Students can see which employers hire the most alumni from their institutions, and consider applying to these companies for internships.
Identify career paths through Search 360: Students can see career paths from real people, including career milestones and internship positions they held on the way to their current role. Students can use this information to determine what types of internships can lead to their dream role post-college.
Students applying for full-time roles and/or preparing to graduate: As a student prepares for post-graduate life, it’s important that they have the right skills, know their potential salary, and have found companies and job titles that interest them. Here are some ways a student preparing to graduate can use the platform:
Explore Top Employers and skills through Outcomes: Students can see the top employers and skills from their institution’s alumni, and can even filter by degree. This is a great way to anticipate employers that might be interested in hiring additional graduates.
Explore Salaries, Job Titles, Employers, and Skills through Search 360: Students can search by job title or major to find average salaries, top employers, and relevant skills. These are all great pieces of information to have as they start job-searching, and can use to their advantage throughout the application process.
Make a Financial Plan with the Tuition Analyzer: Students can use our Tuition Analyzer to calculate their expected monthly student loan payment, and determine how long it will take them to breakeven based on their anticipated salary.
Search for Jobs on the Job Board: Students can use the Job Board feature to find real job postings. They can read through job descriptions and follow links to apply to roles that interest them.
For resources on supporting Transfer students at any stage of their career journey, check out our DataU podcast episode.
Check out our additional resources for maximizing Digital Career Counselor with students:
Once they’ve started using and exploring the Digital Career Counselor, students can check out our Next Steps Resource!