Annie Chartrand, career services coordinator for SUNY Jamestown Community College, was recently a panelist for Access 2022, a virtual conference intended to merge the knowledge of employers and colleges nationwide to accelerate early careers. Making sure a student’s college experience produces a clear path to entering the workforce is top of mind for Chartrand. With intent to improve the process, SUNY JCC joined the fast-growing Handshake platform in September 2021.
“I think equity of access is something that affects our campuses quite a bit, and across different metrics, than it might for a larger institution or an institution that is in a bigger city,” Chartrand explains. “The things that plague our students are things like transportation, poverty, and access to technology. If I am able to highlight employers that are — for instance — willing to subsidize tuition or are walking distance from campus, that addresses an equity of access issue.”
Born 1997 and after, Gen Z’s work processes and career expectations are different from any generation before them. Chartrand had already noticed the culture shift, and sees that putting her finger on the needs of this group post-pandemic is even more challenging. The Handshake conference Chartrand participated in was an opportunity for employers and colleges to chat about how to make the entire education-to-career cycle the most beneficial it can be for everyone involved. Using a new feature in the app called signal boosting can help improve the likelihood employers and those entering the workforce find their best matches.
“It is essentially a feature that ensures local employers don’t get lost in the influx of jobs and employers that are national or international,” Chartrand elaborates. “It really helps shine a spotlight on the personal connections that we work so hard to make. If a company has a local job opening, I can highlight features such as ‘local gem,’ ‘close to campus,’ or ‘good for international students’ – or other flags that highlight features students really care about.”
According to Pathrise, an online career services provider, Handshake connects students on college campuses with open positions, internships and entry-level jobs. More than 14 million students and alumni from more than 700 colleges and universities currently use the app. Forbes states more than 555,000 employers, including Amazon, Tesla, and Bank of America, use the platform. Employers can post job listings for free, and recruit entry-level candidates from a talent pool more diverse than they might find visiting college campuses. Since joining, Chartrand has cultivated her expertise by attending Handshake webinars. Because of her networking, she learned of an opportunity to join a strategic planning board, and she leaped at it.
“I made the case that they were going to see a lot of applicants from large, long-standing, four-year institutions,” Chartrand recalls. “I represent the voice of a small, rural, two-year, and I thought they could benefit from that perspective. They agreed.”
Other panelists speaking during the two-day event included Emmy-nominated writer, producer, New York Times bestselling author, director and actor Mindy Kaling; Stacy Eng, chief learning and talent officer for Chevron; Eloy Oakley, chancellor, California Community Colleges; Andy Chan, vice-president of innovation and career development for Wake Forest University; Michele Militante, senior director of campus and diversity recruitment for PepsiCo; Danny Combs, talent acquisition for Procter & Gamble; Lindsay Ellis, reporter for Wall Street Journal; Caitlyn Gentile, global director of talent acquisition for Mastercard; Wil Jones, executive director of career exploration and success at Rutgers University-New Brunswick; Jenna Smith, brand and experience strategy lead for University at Buffalo; Kate Moody, strategic analyst for University of Notre Dame; and Damon Albano, global head of early in career-campus and IRDP Program for Johnson & Johnson.
This summer, area high school students and recent grads have an opportunity to get personalized assistance exploring careers and learning how to search for employment. Led by JCC’s Career Services staff, the Summer Explore program is available to anyone, regardless of their school enrollment status. Participants will learn what it means to be career ready, and will develop their own resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn account.
Visit the website at sunyjcc.edu/SummerCareerExplore for more information and to register.