Posted on September 17, 2007
MadisonTRAK, an on-campus recruiting segment of MonsterTRAK that’s JMU specific, has been helping students land dream jobs and internships.
The service allows students to search and view detailed job descriptions, sign up for on-campus interviews and submit resumes to employers, all from the comfort of their own computers.
“Hundreds of students have found jobs through MadisonTRAK,” said Jess Schudda, a Graduate Assistant in recruiting services.
Senior Dan Boxer was one of the lucky ones. After deciding on a whim to attend a “Meet the Firms” night at JMU he became interested in one of four accounting firms, Ernst & Young. Boxer met one of the partners from the Virginia division and expressed his interest in interning at the New York office.
“Somehow my resume landed in the New York office,” Boxer said.
He was chosen as a pre-select to interview on MadisonTRAK. After an interview in Sonner Hall he landed the internship. After the internship, Boxer was offered a full-time financial services position at Ernst & Young.
“MadisonTRAK helped get my resume off the ground,” he said.
Likewise, JMU alumnus Charlie Hatter (’02) said he wouldn’t have gotten a job without the help of MadisonTRAK and recruiting services. Now a successful sales manager for the home building firm, Pulte Homes, Hatter said MadisonTRAK was a valuable resource.
“MadisonTRAK is the first step that everyone should take toward finding a job,” he said.
Trey Lewis, assistant coordinator for recruiting services, said the biggest advantage of using MadisonTRAK is that students have employers directly at their disposal and the employers can connect students with the positive reputation JMU has established.
To use MadisonTRAK, students must first attend one of the mandatory hour-long
“Making the Most of MadisonTRAK” workshops on campus, which are offered several times each week in Sonner Hall. The workshop teaches students how to register, create a profile, upload resumes and gives tips on what employers look for in successful job candidates. Once students are registered, they can get started using the services offered on the site.
Over 2,300 students are currently registered on MadisonTRAK. Career services at other universities offer similar programs to MonsterTRAK, but Lewis said JMU’s program is “standalone.”
“Employers have been highly impressed with JMU students overall,” Lewis said. “The reputation of JMU students among employers is that they are team-oriented, have good interpersonal skills and are great communicators.”
He added that employers have noted that JMU students tend to not have the sense of entitlement that students from other schools might have.
MadisonTRAK’s Recruiting Services feature (formerly called On Campus Interviewing) allows students to gain interview experience on campus. They also offer mock behavioral interview to provide feedback for participants.
“Mock interviewing is an opportunity for students to do a dress-rehearsal in a real-life setting,” Lewis said.
In addition, Recruiting Services offers an Employer in Residence program, in which students have the opportunity to meet with employers who come to JMU. Students can use that time to do a resume review, a mock interview, or turn the tables and interview the employer to find out more information about the company.
“The main recruiting method is on-campus interviewing through MadisonTRAK,” Lewis said.
About Us | Supplements | Advertising | Contact Us
Website design by Erik Pitzer ('07)
