For Students
Your Work Experience Has More Value Than You Think
Program Expectations
Participation in the Pathways Program is designed to be manageable alongside your coursework and your Manhattan on-campus job. We ask that you:
- Complete weekly skill reflection activities (about 30–60 minutes/week)
- Participate in weekly check-ins with your supervisor throughout the semester
- Complete all activities and weekly logs throughout the program
- Complete activities during your scheduled work time
What a Typical Week Looks Like
- Skill Report
- Recording the skills you used at your campus job
- Weekly Task Report
- Recording the tasks you performed at your campus job
- Connect and Reflect
- Complete the weekly reflection component, connecting your work experience to your professional growth.
Benefits for Students
- Clearly identify and articulate transferable skills
- Receive a polished career readiness report
- Build resume bullet points from real work experience
- Gain confidence in professional self-presentation
- See below the various skills you may already be building as well as how resume bullet points can evolve
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interupting at inappropriate times.
Possible resume terms: Engaged, Explained, Collaborated, Responded
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Possible resume terms: Integrated, Facilitated, Reported, Scheduled
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Possible resume terms: Analyzed, Designed, Planned, Solved
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Possible resume terms: Determined, Created, Interpreted, Oversaw
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Possible resume terms: Recognized, Adjusted, Adapted, Supported
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Possible resume terms: Contacted, Directed, Explained, Instructed
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Possible resume terms: Provided, Offered, Addressed, Supported
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Possible resume terms: Scheduled, Prioritized, Planned, Coordinated
How Your Work Experience Translates
Here's how the same campus job duty becomes a powerful resume line or interview answer:
What you do every day:
- I answer phones at the front desk and direct people to the right office.
- I train new student employees when they start.
- I keep track of inventory and let my supervisor know when we're running low.
How the program helps you say it:
- Managed the phone lines and answered about 50 questions weekly, ensuring student and parent callers have a clear answer for their situation.
- Onboarded and trained 6 new student employees in departmental procedures and policies, to uphold customer service standards.
- Maintained department inventory and proactively communicated supply needs, ensuring that products and supplies do not become unavailable to customers.