Job Skills Accelerator

Colgate’s Job Skills Accelerator, presented by Career Services, equips students with essential skills and experiences sought by employers in today’s competitive job market.

Job Skills Accelerator student discussion

Overview

The immersive on-campus program is offered at no cost to students. It helps rising juniors enhance their career readiness with a micro-internship, microcredentials, and professional and leadership development seminars — all before they head off to pursue their summer opportunities. 

Students collaborate, problem-solve, and make connections for a lifetime of success.

Read about the Job Skills Accelerator on Colgate News and hear what students say about the program.

Students may download a preview of the application questions.

Opportunities and support tailored to students

Through personalized attention with Career Services specialists, students explore their individual strengths and academic and professional interests, and how these may align with potential fields. The program offers real-world skills and experiences that can build confidence and bring future career goals into focus.

Micro-internships

One of the program’s highlights is the micro-internship with a Colgate graduate or Hamilton-area professional. Students are paired with opportunities that match their interests and strengths.

Program participants are encouraged to explore their burgeoning areas of interest. Students can gain insights into an organization's workflow, culture, and responsibilities while experiencing the workplace in person or remotely. They also participate in one-on-one mentoring sessions, read research reports or investigate industry trends, and have networking conversations. The mentor-student relationship is reinforced with student presentations and mentor feedback sessions.

Job Skills Accelerator student presentation

Microcredentials

Students can become more marketable candidates after completing high-impact microcredentials during the Job Skills Accelerator. These mini-courses are specifically curated by Career Services to help students develop the skills and knowledge that will help them stand out in the application process. 

Courses include:

  • Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop
  • Basic Excel
  • Data Analysis
  • Digital Marketing
  • Foundations of Real Estate
  • Harvard Business School Credential of Readiness
  • Oracle Cloud Infrastructure
  • Project Management Certification
  • UX Design

Industry Preparation

Selection of student experiences
Tim Bennitt headshot

Tim Bennitt ’25

  • Career interest: commercial real estate
  • Area of internship: project management and commercial real estate consulting
  • Credentialing course: iACT Excel
  • Micro-internship organization: MACRO
  • Micro-internship host: Bailey Graves ’16, Senior Program Manager

“I was able to experience so many different aspects of commercial real estate and better understand the industry.”

 

Racquel Baldeo headshot

Racquel Baldeo ’26

  • Career interest: media management, marketing, DEI consulting 
  • Area of internship: ad sales, digital marketing
  • Credentialing course: Digital Marketing
  • Micro-internship organization: NBCUniversal
  • Micro-internship host: Grace Campbell ’20, Senior Sales Planner

“I was interested in the skills and opportunities available to me directly through Career Services as well as meeting alumni and learning how to build my professional network.”

 

Yata Mack headshot

Yata Mack ’25

  • Career interest: public health and scientific research 
  • Area of internship: healthcare
  • Credentialing course: iACT Excel
  • Micro-internship organization: Community Memorial Hospital
  • Micro-internship host: Jeff Coakley, President and Chief Executive Officer

“My career path was unclear to me. Job Skills Accelerator appealed to me because I wanted to gain experience in health care by working in a hospital setting to determine which position would be most suitable for me.”

 

Rachel Plasky headshot

Rachel Plasky ’25

  • Career interest: writing
  • Area of internship: communications
  • Credentialing course: Copyediting Certificate Program
  • Micro-internship organization: H&M
  • Micro-internship host: Lisa Lee-Trostle ’12, Head of North America Communications

“I want to narrow down my career interests and learn more about what I like doing. I also hope to become more confident doing interviews and generally advocating for myself in the working world.”

I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to meaningfully engage in data analysis using GIS and R programming for the City of Syracuse. I now have a real sense of the work that urban planners, analysts, and others do at Syracuse Neighborhood and Business Development — and an understanding of how I could pursue a similar career myself.

Xose Agbadan ’25
Xose Agbadan ’25

Learn more about the Job Skills Accelerator

Student FAQs

How long is the 2024 program?
The program runs from Tuesday, May 14 to Thursday, June 6. Throughout the program, students will be in Benton Hall daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

What will the program consist of?
Students will participate in one microcredential course and one micro-internship. Our team will match you with an alumni in your field of interest to learn about their day-to-day work. Under the guidance of your alumni host, you will also complete and present a capstone project. Career Services will host workshops about LinkedIn, leadership, and professional communication, as well as offer individual advising sessions.

Why should I apply?
JSA is an opportunity for students to experience what it’s like to work in a professional environment. Students explore and discover their professional interests through comprehensive programming.

Do I have to pay for the program?
Career Services will be covering all expenses for meals and housing. Students will be responsible for any additional expenses.

Which class years can apply?
Priority is given to rising juniors, as they are narrowing their professional interests in alignment with Colgate’s Four-Year Career Development Plan. However, other class years will be considered.

If I get accepted into the program, can I put it on my résumé or LinkedIn?
You can put the program on your résumé and Linkedin if you complete your microcredential with proof of certification, and attend the full program.

What microcredentials are available?
Students have taken Harvard Business School CORe, iACT Excel, digital marketing, copy editing, R Coding, and Udacity. If students have other credentials in mind, they can discuss them with the program director. More info

Alumni host FAQs

When is the 2024 Job Skills Accelerator?
The program runs from Wednesday, May 14 to Thursday, June 6.

What is the time commitment to be a host for Colgate’s Job Skills Accelerator?
Mentoring follows a "three-three-three" framework: 

  • Article assignment: Direct students to three industry-related articles or publications for independent reading to deepen their understanding.
  • Virtual meetings: Host three one-on-one sessions with your student. These can be arranged as you like and should generally touch on industry exploration, company insights, networking, and follow-up.
  • Networking expansion: Facilitate introductions to three other industry or company contacts, enabling students to engage in additional informative conversations.

Must participating alumni be available during the entire program?
No. Ideally, alumni will commit to being available for the second and third weeks of the JSA. However, the internship is a critical program component, so we can be flexible about the dates if needed.

How do I fill the time with my student?
The student “capstone project” creates a framework for your mentoring time. The capstone design is flexible, but Career Services provides a template and suggestions. Your student will present a 10-minute capstone project to you remotely and in person to peers during the program's final week.

For more information

Questions can be directed to Career Services at 315-228-7380 or ccs@colgate.edu.

Colgate's Job Skills Accelerator program was made possible by support from the Alan Greene ’51 Investment Studies Program and the Robert A. Fox ’59 Management and Leadership Skills Program.