New program helping students prepare for life after college

By: Vanessa Schumacher
Contributing Writer

The Wackerle Career and Leadership Center has just debuted WackerleTrack, an online career center which allows users to search for jobs or internships, post resumés and much more. This program provides students with example resumés, cover letters and even provides help for building the credential files which education majors need.

WackerleTrack is a program which can be used by all Monmouth College students, freshmen and seniors alike, as well as alumni. Resumés can be uploaded by the user onto his or her profile, but the resumé needs to be approved by the Wackerle Center before it is officially part of the user’s profile.

Michelle Shawgo, director of the Wackerle Career Development Program, said the program is more successful than it was originally thought to be by now. As of Tuesday, Nov. 28, there were 237 students registered for this program. Shawgo mentioned that the goal for the entire year was to be at 300 students, so they are very impressed at its success so far.

One of the main features WackerleTrack offers is a Job Agent. The Job Agent allows the user to customize a search for his or her ideal job, including location, and will contact the user when a new job is posted that matches the user’s criteria.

Most of the jobs posted on WackerleTrack are entry-level positions for students just graduating from college. The job listing is not just for the Monmouth area, but for all over Illinois with a few listings for out-of-state positions.

Shawgo pointed out that the Wackerle team is trying to get more local part-time job openings posted so that Monmouth students have an idea of what is available in the area. Right now, there are 16 local part-time positions posted, but that number is expected to grow.

To become acquainted with all that WackerleTrack has to offer, there will be orientation sessions next semester for students to learn more about the program and how to benefit from it.

Next week, Andrea Emery, a senior majoring in public relations and business who is an intern for the Wackerle Center, will be sending out a newsletter about WackerleTrack.

Shawgo stated that “the goal is to get to the point where students know that this is the spot to go for job, internship and resumé info.”

Shawgo also encourages all Monmouth students to take full advantage of the WackerleTrack profile because there have already been employers searching through the site and looking at students’ profiles. Shawgo also pointed out that a few students have already interviewed for positions due to their participation with this program.