By Zowie Zokuskie ‘27, staff writer
LVC students have a new destination for career development as the Breen Center for Career and Professional Development introduces Bridge Forward.
This past May, the Breen Center and LVC students launched Bridge Forward. Previously, students and staff used Handshake, the college's career recruiting platform, to connect with employers, search for internships and jobs and schedule appointments with the Breen Center. Now with Bridge Forward, students can utilize the platform for the same tasks, with additional features that Handshake did not have.
Bridge Forward serves as a one-stop career resource hub that brings together career exploration, experiential learning, employer engagement, appointment scheduling and outcomes tracking into one connected experience. Students can use the platform to look for internships, jobs, on-campus employment opportunities, register for career fairs and other professional development programs, schedule appointments with advisors, participate in additional leadership experience and resume-building activities and connect with employers and alumni all in one location.
The program is built for everyone, regardless of age and status on campus.
“For students, it’s a one-stop shop,” Dr. Wally Choplick, associate director of the Breen Center, said. “Bridge Forward makes the job search and scheduling appointments with the Breen Center simpler. The platform could even link users' LinkedIn accounts to their Bridge Forward account and pull information from there.”
The platform is not just for students, but also for faculty and staff as well.
“From an institutional standpoint, Bridge Forward allows departments all over campus to work together,” he said. “The Registrar, Advancement chairs, Graduate studies and department directors can use the platform to post job opportunities and connect with other departments.”
Similar to the Breen Center and their resources, Bridge Forward is a lifelong tool.
“Whether you’re a current or former student, you can use the platform to book appointments,” Choplick said. “Alumni can update their work experience to keep the Breen Center updated but also show other current students who are in similar majors as them the possibilities for their future career path.”
Students can build their profiles using their LinkedIn profile. The Breen Center hopes Bridge Forward will become an essential resource for connecting the classroom to future career opportunities.