Remote Learning and Career Readiness: Adapting to the New Normal
By Jess Lockwood and Will Quinlan
Career readiness technologies have transformed education as remote learning and the virtual workplaces have become the new norm.
The Rise of Remote Learning in the Digital Age
The COVID-19 pandemic created a paradigm shift that established remote learning as the prevailing modality of education. Now, more than ever, students have been granted the opportunity to partake in online courses and exams from the comfort of their homes. Over the last five years, the number of US students enrolled in online courses has increased by 10% annually (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023). Now, as these students look beyond their graduation date, the professional landscape is less certain. Students need to find a new way to prepare for their careers.
Challenges in Remote Career Readiness Education
Remote work, while more prevalent than ever, has proven to be a challenge for many. Luckily, with the popularity of remote learning and online degrees, the format of your education is less important to recruiters. According to Burning Glass Technologies this year, 67% of employers say they are open to hiring graduates with online degrees.
However, how do these students find jobs? In the past, most college students found jobs and internships through college career fairs or their network. Online education has changed this for many. Students can now job search through EdTech platforms like Handshake and LinkedIn, amongst others.
These virtual platforms have changed the job and internship search for students in a number of ways:
Expanding the pool of opportunities available to students: Now more than ever, students can apply for jobs and internships around the entire world at the click of a button. If you want to go to Europe for a summer internship, you can just filter your search by location.
Students can connect with recruiters more easily: Websites such as Handshake offer direct messaging to recruiters from around the world. Oftentimes, students get messaged by recruiters based on their profile.
Helping students build their network: Not only is LinkedIn a job search platform, but it is also a social media platform for professionals to network with each other. These types of platforms allow students to connect with recruiters, peers, and everyone in between.
EdTech Solutions for Remote Career Readiness
There are technology-driven solutions that address the challenges of remote career readiness education. Online career counseling, alumni connection platforms, and interview and resume prep using AI are a few of them. Let's dive deeper into these.
Online Career Counseling: Online career counseling has gained popularity over recent years as an essential tool for remote learners seeking to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and the demands of the professional world. According to McGraw-Hill Education, only 40% of students feel prepared for their future careers. Platforms like BetterUp are designed to help students feel more prepared by providing a comprehensive suite of services, including coaching, networking opportunities, and insights into individual strengths and weaknesses.
Alumni Connection Platforms: Unlike traditional in-person university graduates who benefit from a built-in network of peers, friends, and professors, online graduates often lack this advantage. Platforms like LinkedIn, which facilitate easy access and connection with alumni regardless of graduation year, make it easy for students to connect with fellow graduates. However, making a LinkedIn connection is only a small step along the path of networking. Setting up a call or meeting a professional face-to-face will greatly increase an applicant's chances of getting that next interview or a final offer. According to HubSpot, a staggering 85% of jobs are filled through networking. There is no way around it; networking is a must.
Interview and Resume Preparation: The final crucial pieces in the job application puzzle are crafting an impressive resume and acing interviews. In recent years, there has been a surge in AI-powered software designed to aid job seekers in these areas. Platforms like ChatGPT can provide instant resume critiques or offer common interview questions tailored to specific job types. However, for those seeking a competitive edge, Rezi.ai or HireVue can offer more actionable advice, helping students refine their experiences both on their resume and in their interview.
Virtual Internships: Gaining Real-World Experience from Home
Micro-learning is a type of learning that is delivered in short, focused bursts. This type of learning is well-suited for busy students who need to learn new skills quickly and efficiently. Micro-internships have gained massive popularity in recent years. According to micro-internship data, over 70% of survey respondents have reported an increase in their critical thinking abilities due to their micro-internship, and more than three quarters of those who didn't report increased skills reported enhanced confidence in this area.
Forage is a virtual internship platform that connects students with companies all over the world. Forage has raised over $30 million in funding and has helped over 50,000 students gain real-world experience remotely. According to Yale’s Office of Career Strategy, employers are 4x more likely to extend an offer to a Forager.
Parker Dewey is a similar platform; it provides short-term, paid, professional assignments to students looking to launch their careers and those who wish to add more to their resumes.
Building a Virtual Professional Presence: Tips and Tools
A 2023 LinkedIn survey found that 63% of recruiters agree that having a strong virtual professional presence is important when hiring candidates. In addition, 70% of hiring managers say they've hired someone based on their online presence. So, how do you get started? We recommend creating a professional account for one of the following:
LinkedIn: Starting a LinkedIn profile is simple, but gaining connections is the hard part. In 2022, the platform had 756 million users in more than 200 countries, so there are endless possibilities here. To find a career connection, it’s important to start with those closest to you. Connect with peers and colleagues, then ask them to connect with their peers and colleagues. Another trick is to go onto your school’s page and use their alumni search tool to connect with alumni in the field of interest.
Personal Website/Blog: Make yourself stand out even more by creating your own professional website! It shows that you are proactive, resourceful, and have a strong online presence. It also allows you to showcase your work and expertise in a more comprehensive way. For example, a writer can use their website to publish blog posts and articles on their area of expertise, demonstrating the writer's knowledge and thought leadership to potential employers.
Other Social Media: Make sure to separate your personal accounts from your professional accounts. Recruiters will often look you up on the internet when deciding whether or not to hire you, so you have to ensure that everything they can find is appropriate. Consider searching your name on Google to see what you find; this is what employers will see as well.
Conclusion
The transformative role EdTech has played in how students prepare for their careers is as notable as it is indispensable. The modern landscape has transformed how students acquire, hone, and showcase their skills to prospective employers. The career readiness landscape is extremely dynamic, and while players like LinkedIn and Handshake may sit at the top, AI drastically changes how the space functions. As students embark on their journeys into the workforce, it is important to note that they too are the disruptors of the future, and their path to success will continue to evolve.