"Wherever you are, it starts here." This is the slogan for Salisbury University’s very own job search website. It was created and is managed by the students in Content Creation & Inbound Marketing and instructor Paula Morris. It was developed fall of 2018 and has been growing ever since.
When addressing the original concept idea for the site, Morris said, “Their [the students'] vision was to create a place where students could find the information they need at any step of the job search process without feeling overwhelmed.”
The goal was to eliminate the sheer amount of content those searching for jobs had to shift through.
It started with that simple principle in mind, and every year, it has grown larger and larger, adding more modules for students to use.
Garret Neville, the teaching assistant for the course and former SU student, feels that the course has grown in many ways since he was a student here.
“I think this semester, the students have grasped the concepts earlier than we did our semester," Neville said. "The website is now theirs. Anytime they have a good idea, 99% of the time, Paula would never say no. They are taking it ever further; they are building on all the social media platforms now.”
Our First Job Search offers access to things like "Job Search Tips," "Tips from The Pros" and even "Student Success Stories."
Each class develops new ideas that help the site grow. Morris talked about how the success stories are a newer feature to the site.
“We now have added success stories. These are students who have found jobs," Morris said. "Recent grads who have found jobs, who have found internships, sharing tips for each other.”
This pillar of the site is to bring confidence to students wondering if they too will be able to find a job.
The class is structured into six teams that make sure the website functions on a day-to-day basis. Each team has a specific job or function to perform for the class. Morris explained that this team-like structure focuses in on the students' different strengths.
“There are six teams that keep it running," Morris said. "There’s a team about content creation and refinement. The web team does the maintenance on the website. There’s an SEO team, which is search engine optimization; it is the team that helps search engines find the site. A storytelling team; they understand the target audience. Then there’s the external promotion team, who is reaching out.”
The only way that those teams can keep the mission for the site concentrated and on track is if there are people in charge of the teams.
SU senior Garrett Kopich, a member of the visionary board, talked about how the visionary board sort of leads the class in a direction. He also talked about how being on the board has really helped him with the class.
“I’m constantly thinking about it, constantly doing stuff that doesn’t affect my grade,” Kopich said.
This sort of student dedication is how Our First Job Search is achieving its goal.
“Our goal is you bookmark our site, and when you have time you come on back, wherever you are, just come on back,” Morris said.
She is confident that this site can be a place for all students to utilize. As word has gotten out about the site, its viewership is going up, and more students are using it to their benefit.
“My students all know to use this, some of the business school is starting to catch on," Morris said. "But we want it to be a campus-wide tool.”
The idea is for all majors to be able to go onto the site and find useful information about applying and obtaining the right job for each person.
Not only does this website offer many helpful tips and tricks for students looking for jobs, but both past and current students say that taking this class is very beneficial to them and their personal careers.
“I think, hands down, it has been the most beneficial class that I’ve ever taken in the business school, because it is all hands-on work with real-world application. It’s not fluff content," Neville said. “I think it should be a required class for all marketing majors.”
The certifications gained in class through HubSpot are ones that many employers are looking for in students.
Kopich explained these certifications, highlighting how they've helped him along the way.
“Through the certifications, as soon as you get certified, they ask if you want to upload it to your LinkedIn, so I have all my certifications on my LinkedIn profile, which makes the people looking at my profile a little bit more interested in me,” Kopich said.
Employers are seeking out potential employees who already have the skills gained through this class.
Our First Job Search will continue to run as long as there is a desire from marketing majors to take the class. Morris, Kopich and Neville all expressed how much they enjoyed taking and teaching this class.
When asking whether or not the course will be continued, Morris exclaimed, “I have no plans to shut it down. It’s a fun class to teach.”
As an SU student seeking out resources to aid in your first-ever job search, check out
By ANNIE GEITNER
Staff writer
Featured photo by Annie Geitner images.