Feeling anxious about life after graduation?

If you're worried about the impact AI is having on the entry-level job market and the value of your degree, you're not alone. There's a lot you can't control in this turbulent time, but there is something you can. Research shows that students who engage in meaningful volunteer work gain a measurable employment advantage. 

We offer a semester by semester plan and ongoing support to help students build a professional foundation and turn volunteer work into a career advantage.

Why it Matters

Employers Are Paying Attention

Volunteers have 27% higher odds of employment, and the employment boost is even stronger for individuals early in their careers. AmeriCorps, Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment

41% of hiring managers consider volunteer experience equal to paid work experience. LinkedIn, Global Recruiting Trends

82% of hiring managers are more likely to choose a candidate with volunteer experience.

 

85% of hiring managers are more inclined to look past resume flaws when the candidate includes volunteer work, yet only 30% list it on their resumes.

 

92% of employers agree that volunteering improves leadership and professional skills.

Deloitte, Impact Survey

Volunteer leadership signals:


• Initiative
• Work ethic

• Accountability
• Civic engagement
• Emotional intelligence

 

When GPA and internships look similar, service-driven leadership becomes your differentiator. In a competitive entry-level job market, that difference matters.
 

How It Works

Develop Your Professional Brand

  • Complete the personal branding workbook
  • Craft your LinkedIn profile and strategy
  • Grow your network and gain references

Gain Experience and Credentials

  • Seize quality volunteer opportunities
  • Turn class projects into work experience
  • Add valuable credentials to your resume

Practice Telling Your Story

  • Translate skills to your resume effectively
  • Build impact stories for your interviews
  • Keep your professional brand up-to-date

Where to Start

PeerTakes

Help Younger Students Connect Why Engagement Matters

Share life stories and information with younger students you share a connection with through school or activities to help them see how their choices and student engagement today can help or hurt their education, employment, and lifestyle opportunities in the future.

Soft Skills: empathy leadership, emotional intelligence, communication, motivation, networking, interpersonal skills

Impact Collabs

Support Efforts to Engage and Better Serve Students

Support efforts to launch or improve student support services by aligning class projects or collaborating with campus members to help education and workforce development leaders or any student support program engage more students and better serve them.

Soft Skills: leadership, problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, networking, teamwork, communication, work ethic

Teach It Back

Help Other Students become Stronger Job Candidates

Create your own internship or learn how to use technology, labor market data, workforce development initiatives, or resume and interview strategies to become a stronger job candidate. Then create opportunities to engage and teach other students how to do the same. 

Soft Skills: adaptability, empathy leadership, teamwork, motivation, problem solving, critical thinking, interpersonal skills 

Intentionally Designed

Meaningful

Sharing the valuable insight you possess can help younger students avoid pitfalls and find success. Serving students you share a connection with is highly rewarding. It motivates you to stay engaged in volunteer work that builds evidence of soft skills employers are seeking. It's the perfect space to start growing your network and social capital.

Impactful

Increasing student engagement and success is one of our country's greatest challenges. It's the same challenge employers face with employees. Working on projects that signal engagement is one of your core values helps shape your professional brand and build an advantage. It's the ultimate space to maximize your impact on society and your resume.

Personal Value

Gaining real world experience and building your network while in school helps you overcome the anxiety and self-doubt that comes with being a first-time job candidate. Creating quality volunteer work is also a way to practice creating your own gig work. Your education matters. But experience, leadership, and initiative are what set you apart. 

What Makes Us Different

Most students know that waiting until junior or senior year to start their career development leaves them with a disadvantage that is hard to overcome.  Unfortunately, most students also naturally procrastinate and it's easy to end up there.


That's why our focus is on helping freshman and sophomores overcome procrastination and stay engaged. Our goal is to make it easy to leverage free professional development resources and create meaningful volunteer opportunities.


Our semester by semester plan and proactive support creates accountability for doing a little bit every month for four years to stay on track for reaching your professional goals. By consistently aligning skill and brand development with volunteer work, you'll graduate with:


  • Demonstrated leadership and other soft skills
  • Real-world problem-solving experience
  • An established professional brand and network
  • A stronger resume and clear interview narratives
  • A measurable competitive edge


Our mission is to help students start building a career advantage from day one, but if you procrastinated we can still help.

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