What Student Support Looks Like at DigitalCrafts

DigitalCrafts is intended for career path changers, so the Student Success Team is well-versed in how to help you find your footing in the topsy-turvy tech job search. Committed to offering clear, relevant, and personalized career services for students and alumni, we spoke with Student Success Advisors Anna Lee McTeer and Anna-Paige Simmons to find out what’s actually included in career services at DigitalCrafts. Plus, find out how they’re using AI to support a more efficient job search process!

What is DigitalCrafts’ goal for each student?

Anna-Paige: Our goal for students is that they leave DigitalCrafts feeling confident that they can embark on a new career path supported by their skill set, able to market themselves both on paper and in interviews to articulate why they want to transition career paths. There are so many paths to go down in software development or cybersecurity and we want students to find positions that are a good fit for them, that transfer skills, and that they’ll be satisfied in. Our ultimate goal is that students end up at their ideal job or a job that leads to their ideal job!

How do you support students as Student Success Advisors at DigitalCrafts?

Anna Lee: We are the Student Success Team, so we focus on career development for all DigitalCraft students, starting from day one and continuing as alumni. We work with students on crafting a resume, building and optimizing their LinkedIn profile, and other supporting documents, like a portfolio or cyber report, depending on the program. We help students fine tune all of these employer-facing resources so they can be confident in their job search.

Most of our students are career transitioners, so with the student’s help, we look for their transferable skills, ways to market themselves to this new tech industry, and how to showcase their newly developed skills. We hold 1:1 meetings where students can talk about and get feedback on anything related to the job search process. 

We are constantly iterating our student success curriculum to stay relevant to the needs of the industry. We also host talks and guest speaker events! 

How do DigitalCrafts students interact with student support during the bootcamp? 

Anna Lee: Student Support is at-will and our call links are available to students for when they want to meet, so we can ensure their needs are met. We also hold weekly career development talks that students can attend if they want to. 

Are students matched with a specific advisor?

Anna Lee: We are the only two advisors that work directly with students and we alternate the students we work with by the month they started. 

Does student support look different for software development students versus cybersecurity students?

Anna-Paige: We offer our software development students and our cybersecurity students the same career services, but the content and material we provide them varies by program. We have separate modules for software development and cybersecurity that explain how to create a resume tailored for positions in each field which will highlight different things and include different content. 

How we meet to structure those resumes also looks different for each student. For software development, it’s so important to include a project section on their resume to show relevant experience and what they've been working on. For Cybersecurity, we focus on the technical cybersecurity skills they have developed throughout the program and instruct them on how to highlight these in their job materials.     

How does student support assist the student who is starting from ground zero with their job materials vs the student who has experience and is already ahead in interviewing?

Anna Lee: We start by meeting students where they’re at. We meet with every student at least one time during their bootcamp to figure out where they are in the job search process. We take a look at their resume and LinkedIn profile to see where there is room to make adjustments. Even a top notch resume can be perfected!

If they’re starting from scratch, we’ll help them select a template. If they’re further along in the job search process, we’ll offer sample interview questions to help them prepare with a mock interview. We don’t want to overwhelm students! We have many resources to help support students where they are. 

Does Student Support help students and alumni with salary negotiation strategies?

Anna-Paige: Yes! We help them set realistic expectations, understand how to negotiate, and know that it's okay to negotiate. 

Can DigitalCrafts alumni reach out to student support for help with their career paths? 

Anna-Paige: The DigitalCrafts Student Support Team is committed to empowering confidence in the job search process, from day one. There is no limit to the length of time you can reach out to the career services staff at DigitalCrafts. Each interview will be different and we’ll be there for you along the way. Alumni return to us for assistance in adding experience to their resume, practicing mock interviews, getting relevant industry advice, and to practice networking at events like career fairs! 

The tech job market is always changing! What kinds of updates has DigitalCrafts made to the career services curriculum?

Anna-Paige: The biggest change we’re making to our curriculum is tailoring to the needs of students in our Flex programs, where we otherwise relied on in-class discussions. We are always tailoring our curriculum to the needs of the industry to help students enhance their list of potential positions to apply for.  

Anna Lee: We connect with tech recruiters to understand what they’re looking for, the latest trends in the industry, and hirable job titles. The tech industry is forever changing so it’s important to stay current. We're also seeing a different type of student come through the Flex programs, since there are no set class or log-in times and students have the flexibility to complete assignments on their own schedule while adhering to weekly deadlines. Most Flex students are working full-time and needing more career-focused videos in the modules. We're doing a full audit on all of our curriculum to ensure that it's updated and meeting the needs of our students.

Is AI being utilized in the new tech job search process at DigitalCrafts? 

Anna-Paige: Yes! With AI, you either embrace it and get on board or get left behind! At DigitalCrafts, we use a tool called Skills First that uses AI for career support. One feature is a resume skills gap analysis, where you can run your resume against the job description and see where skills may be lacking or language could be adjusted. Applicant tracking systems will pick up resumes that are worded more specifically to the job description, such as using software “developer” versus “engineer.” It will also highlight transferable skills in your resume, so if the description is asking for someone who’s “adaptable,” that should be included. 

We are teaching students how to use AI to tailor a resume more efficiently. We stress the importance of tailoring your resume to each job you’re applying for, to increase the odds of it getting to a human eye. 

Tell us about some recent DigitalCrafts students who utilized Student Support to their advantage! 

Anna-Paige: We had an alumni recently return to speak to our current cohort about her career journey after DigitalCrafts. Like so many entry-level job seekers, she struggled for months to find a job, but through the networking skills she developed at DigitalCrafts she learned of a job through a connection she made and applied. She got hired as a junior software developer at a mid-size company and has since moved into a senior software engineering position and is also in charge of hiring new software developers! She reminded our students that they’re in the hardest part right now as new developers, but it gets better — one connection can help you break into the industry, which can then lead to the next job and so on. Being at the start of a new career path is exciting, with so many different ways to grow!

Anna Lee: We host our virtual career fair a few times a year and we had a student that was committed to preparing for this networking opportunity. We met beforehand and practiced his elevator pitch, reviewed his resume, and went over tips to remember to help him stand out in a virtual career fair. He did get an interview and continued to take advantage of our services, conducting mock interviews and perfecting his elevator pitch. This student was so determined and met with us before or after each interview. After three interviews he received his first job offer! 

What are your tips to incoming bootcamp students on making the most of student support at DigitalCrafts?

Anna-Paige: Utilize the Student Support Team! We are here to help you in any way that we can.

Find out more and read DigitalCrafts reviews on Course Report. This article was produced by the Course Report team in partnership with DigitalCrafts.

DigitalCrafts is a part of the American InterContinental University System. The System is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. DigialCrafts cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement. Not all programs are available to residents of all states. REQ1994118  11/2023