CSU Chancellor Tim White visits the LinkedIn Photo Studio at SJSU Nov. 4 (photo by Neal Waters, ’07 Geography, ’16 MS Mass Communications).
SJSU Media Relations contact:
Daniel Newell, 408-924-6028, daniel.newell@sjsu.edu
SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State University and LinkedIn have formed a unique partnership that aims to assist college students in exploring career interests and career pathways. The SJSU Career Center and LinkedIn have launched a new pilot program, an exciting mobile app that assist students in developing a professional social network that targets potential industries and occupations of interest based on alumni who have graduated from SJSU and are now working in the field.
Pilot of a New Mobile App
Recently, Business Insider announced SJSU as the #1 supplier of talent to Silicon Valley; it’s no surprise that SJSU was selected to be the first university in the nation to pilot this new and engaging mobile app. Through this education-industry partnership, future hopes are that students will engage in their professional development and network early to prepare to enter the workforce. The app tailors its content to each student’s profile, providing a high level of customization in the role, company, content, and alumni recommendations it surfaces.
Closing the Skills-gap
The app highlights top skills that are self-reported by alumni, introducing current students to areas they should look to develop if they choose to enter the same field. Students can reach out to an alumnus to connect for an informational interview or mentoring, providing the next generation workforce with the access necessary to learn from those who came before them. Closing the skills and achievement gaps is a process. From the SJSU LinkedIn pilot program – providing career exploration tools, resources, and access to potential mentors – we believe we are taking an important step in the right direction.
Celebrating a New Partnership
To celebrate its new partnership, on Wednesday, November 4th, 2015, the SJSU Career Center, SJSU Student Alumni Association, and LinkedIn launched a “LinkedIn to Your Career” event that involved a LinkedIn Photo Studio known as the “Headshot Truck,” a cutting-edge mobile head shot photography studio. The celebration also included an evening workshop and mixer. At the event, students were able to create LinkedIn profiles, take head shots for their profile picture, and learn how to maximize their job search through networking.
The event attracted more than 600 students and even caught the attention of Chancellor Tim White, who stopped by to take a head shot for his LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn invited SJSU students to network with LinkedIn employees who graduated from SJSU. Alumni guests represented majors from health science, international business, computer science, graphic design/digital media art, management information systems, accounting, and engineering.
About San Jose State
The founding campus of the 23-campus California State University system, San Jose State provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in more than 140 areas of study and 100 concentrations – offered through its eight colleges.
With more than 33,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, San Jose State continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing more than 7,000 graduates to the workforce.
The university is immensely proud of the accomplishments of its more than 220,000 alumni, 60 percent of whom live and work in the Bay Area.