Expand your Wittenberg experience; join the Tiger Career Network (TCN).

An exclusive Internet link for Wittenberg students and alumni developed by Alice L. Tenney, director of placement services and employer relations, TCN gives Wittenberg another competitive edge in the constantly changing world of information technology.

With the addition last July of Beverly C. Reid as director of career consulting and program development, Tenney and Reid began incorporating information technology-related services, such as TCN, as part of a restructuring project in Career Development and Placement, now the Career Center.

The services not only enrich the student experience, but also help better prepare students for the fluctuating job market.

The additions also bring the services of the new Career Center within reach of university alumni and encourage interaction between students and alumni.

Information technology, according to Tenney, enables both alumni and students to develop strong career networks, provides tools to stay abreast of the newest trends in resume and interview preparation, and establishes links to internship and job opportunities.

All of the Career Center’s services and resources are now available on the World Wide Web at www.wittenberg.edu/witt/careers.
“So far it’s working very well,” Tenney said.

Among the services offered online through the Career Center is Jobtrak, a site especially designed for college students and alumni, which contains listings for full-time, part-time, temporary or internship job openings.

Made available through the Career Center web site free of charge, Jobtrak lists partnerships with more than 750 college and university career centers, MBA programs and alumni associations, and more than 300,000 employers use it.

Tenney added that 90 percent of prospective employers do not care about a particular major.

However, she explained that a liberal arts background still remains critical for providing tools for problem-solving, writing and research, and the development of global views. Employers also look at previous work experience, Tenney added.

As for TCN, a password protected web site, it allows alumni to act as a resource for students interested in building contacts.

It also provides alumni important contacts when making a career change, which according to statistics may include six to 11 job changes during the work life.

Nearly 500 alumni, family and friends have already become part of the TCN.“It offers a way for alumni to give back to the school,” Reid said.

— Phyllis Eberts