How does college prepare you for a career? How do you get an on-campus job that will teach you valuable skills?
Today, learn about how UNH students Kaylee Finch '25, Margaret Lahey '24, Sarah Donovan '24 and Durga Raja '25 gained critical job-ready skills from their on-campus jobs at UNH through the Campus-2-Career (C2C) program.
What is the Campus-2-Career (C2C) program?
Campus-2-Career is a unique cross-campus program within UNH's Career and Professional Success (CaPS) office. The program aims to prepare UNH student workers with skills they can transfer to future internships and jobs.
Q: What is your major, and what on-campus job do you have?
Kaylee:
I am a junior wildlife and conservation biology major with a minor in animal behavior. I am a part of the C2C program through my position as an Advising Intern with Career and Professional Success (CaPS).
Margaret:
My major is business administration with a concentration in management and a dual major in sustainability. I have two positions in Career and Professional Success (CaPS). I have been an Advising Intern for three years and an Operations Intern since August.
Sarah:
I am a senior journalism and communication double major at UNH. As part of the Campus 2 Career (C2C) program, I have worked as an Advising Intern for Career and Professional Success (CaPS) for the past two years.
Durga:
I'm an environmental and resource economics & sustainability dual major, and I worked as a CaPS Advising Intern.
Q: What skills have you gained through the C2C program?
Kaylee:
Being a part of the C2C program has helped me improve my communication skills. I have used communication-focused resources to gain and improve skills such as active listening, being adaptable when communicating, being confident in my communication skills, receiving and giving feedback, public speaking and presenting. The C2C program has also helped me to improve other skills such as time management, organization and flexibility, as I have had to manage my schedule to adequately accommodate my full course load, research projects, intern position and the C2C program.
Margaret:
My communication skills have significantly improved through interactions with supervisors and student advising, teaching me to convey information effectively and provide constructive, tailored feedback. Additionally, recruiting employers for campus events has enhanced my independence by requiring me to autonomously identify partners, address their needs and make strategic decisions. Furthermore, my professional demeanor in managing responsibilities has been key in building trust and respect among colleagues and external contacts.
Sarah:
One of the most significant skills I feel that I’ve developed from the C2C program has been communication. Over the past year, CaPS interns have focused on developing our communication skill sets in our jobs at CaPS to improve our performance in our roles overall. Communication sounds like it’d be easy—let me tell you, it is not! Effective communication is very difficult to master and takes much practice and learning to strengthen your skills. The area in communication that I feel I’ve most improved in has been crafting my verbal and oral responses to be concise.
Students visiting our drop-in hours at CaPS seek quick, helpful guidance on their professional endeavors. Ensuring that what I say to students is concise and my advice is clear and engaging is essential to creating the best outcome for a student. Learning to prioritize conciseness in my written content has helped me write example sections of resumes for students, getting straight to the point to help them effectively communicate key sections of their resumes.
Durga:
I was able to use communication skills firsthand, working with other students and peers to help them create and refine their career documents (resumes, cover letters, etc). I have developed confidence in important skills such as active listening, giving constructive feedback, approaching situations with empathy and treating all people with respect and belonging. The C2C program also gave me skills to be more confident when public speaking, especially during the showcase last year, where I presented my findings and shared my experience.
Q: How has the C2C program helped you search for other jobs and internships?
Kaylee:
The C2C program has helped me refine communication skills that will benefit me in searching for jobs or internships because now I am more prepared and confident in communicating with employers. By improving my communication skills through the C2C program, I am also better prepared for interviews and life after graduation as I can better convey my ideas, connect with others and receive/give feedback.
Margaret:
My experience at CaPS has been extremely beneficial in understanding the dynamics of job markets and employer expectations. I now have insights into what companies look for in potential candidates, which in turn helps me tailor my applications more effectively. I have also learned to utilize various tools and platforms, such as Handshake and LinkedIn, to their fullest potential, which are crucial for identifying job opportunities and understanding the requirements and expectations detailed in job listings. The skills and experiences I've gained have also enriched my resume, making me a more competitive candidate for future job opportunities.
Sarah:
Being part of the C2C program has helped me in searching for jobs and internship opportunities. It has restructured how I think about communication and how I communicate with others. I feel that I am much more confident in interviews, as I can use my oral communication to form a compelling message that highlights why I’d be an excellent candidate for a given role.
Durga:
The C2C program taught me to be more open and confident when talking to employers, especially at career fairs. I can now use those skills to create meaningful interactions with potential employers. I believe the skills that I have learned will help me in my job search next year.
Q: Why should other students consider the C2C program?
Kaylee:
The C2C program teaches you so many skills that are applicable to all aspects of your life, from professional and academic settings to general social and personal settings. The program pairs well with other involvements, as you can directly implement the skills gained from it into your academic and professional lives. By participating in the C2C program, you are better equipping yourself for success by learning and improving essential skills that many employers and careers require.
Margaret:
Other students should consider joining the C2C program because it offers hands-on experience with professional development, equipping participants with the skills needed to succeed in various environments. Additionally, the training sessions and reflections build essential communication skills valuable in any career path.
Sarah:
I’d advise other UNH students to consider the C2C program because no matter what area they focus on improving, the program will dedicate time to improving fundamental skills that prepare students for their professional careers.
Durga:
Other UNH students should consider the C2C program because it is a great way to build skills that are important not only to schoolwork or academics, but also beyond that. The C2C program allowed me to research and work on communication skills for my Advising Intern position at CaPS, but I also looked at skills that would help me in a future career, and it was good to start thinking about those skills now.
Q: What people or experiences were the highlight of the C2C program?
Kaylee:
As part of my participation in the C2C program, I listened to multiple communication-focused podcasts that gave me new insights into communication and how to implement communication skills into my position with CaPS. Two podcasts that I really enjoyed and learned a lot from are “Communicating Confidently with Jessica Chen” and “Presentation Boss." I also watched and listened to multiple videos and podcasts with Vinh Giang, a very influential communication skills coach who has lots of helpful tips for improving your communication skills.
These resources discussed many aspects of communication and helpful tips that I have been able to implement into my Advising Intern position with CaPS. As part of the C2C program for CaPS, we are having an end of the year showcase to reflect on our participation in the program and the skills we have gained from it. Preparing for this showcase has also been very beneficial to reflecting on how I have implemented these skills in my on-campus job, as well as other academic and professional settings.
Margaret:
The mentoring and guidance from senior advisors at CaPS have been invaluable. Their insights into career development and their support in navigating different challenges have significantly impacted my professional growth. Additionally, interacting with a broad network of employers has opened up new perspectives on career possibilities. The hands-on experience of organizing career fairs and managing real-time data on job portals like Handshake and Salesforce have also been crucial in my learning process.
Sarah:
Cayce Jones, Stephanie Whitney and Krysta Gingue have all made an incredible impact on my professional success at CaPS. While working with Cayce Jones for the past two years, he’s helped me improve my professionalism and networking skills, fine-tune my resume and, overall, has been an outstanding supervisor. He’s always there if you have questions and is accommodating and thoughtful. I’ve always told friends and family that I lucked out getting a job at CaPS; it has helped me professionally succeed while also enabling me to help other students succeed, which has been incredibly fulfilling.
Durga:
I worked in the St. Martin Career Exploration Office in COLSA as an Advising Intern, which has had the most impact on me and developing my skills. The St. Martin team is a great group to work with!
BONUS: Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience with C2C?
Margaret:
One of the most rewarding aspects of working at CaPS and in the C2C program has been the ability to directly contribute to the success of my peers. By reviewing resumes, providing career advice and putting on career events, I am able to see tangible improvements in their job search. It just affirms the value of the work we do at CaPS.
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