PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT
Unlocking Career Potential and Growing Networks in Just Two Sessions
By Adriana Avila
The latest buzz around SJSU's Lucas College and Graduate School of Business is the Career Launch Initiative (CLI), a novel program designed to catapult students from academia to their professional lives. A two-session program, CLI brings high-level, seasoned career professionals, many of whom are SJSU alumni, directly into the classroom.
“Ready today. Prepared for tomorrow” is the program’s slogan. Its overarching goals are clear: to educate, inspire, build confidence and prepare students for their next chapters and beyond.
Over the past two years, CLI has made a significant impact across the Lucas College of Business, involving over 1,000 students in small, collaborative groups. This scalable approach allows students to critique each other’s job search documents and provide personal support, creating a powerful learning environment that benefits students, the Career Center and SJSU as a whole.
In a 2024 Harvard Business Publishing article, "3 Ways Teaching Universities Can Stay Competitive," Rangapriya “Priya” Kannan, dean of the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business, highlighted three key factors that have made CLI’s career readiness possible while maintaining a minimal budget: keeping the program short with two sessions; tapping into professional volunteers; and letting students learn from each other.
In the first 75-minute program session, students are briefed on how to effectively market themselves through cover letters, resumes, LinkedIn profiles, thank you letters and a wow factor – crucial tools that instill confidence in the ever-evolving job landscape of today’s business world.
Business students networking with CLI PAC associates. Photo:Adriana Avila
CLI documents include cover letters, resumes, LinkedIn profiles, thank you letters and a wow factor. Photo: Adriana Avila
Business students showcase their interview skills during the second session of CLI, where they hone in their interview techniques and receive immediate feedback from experienced professionals on the CLI Professional Advisory Council. Photo: Adriana Avila.
Srinidhi Senthil
“After completing the program, I feel a whole new level of confidence. Not only did I refine my resume, but I also gained a deeper understanding of how to present myself effectively during interviews.”
— Srinidhi Senthil, ‘24 Corporate Accounting and Finance
These documents, like the branches of a strong tree, reach out and connect the student to potential opportunities. Just as a tree's branches are pruned and shaped to encourage healthy growth, students learn to enhance their documents, ensuring they present their best selves to future employers. Additionally, they receive wisdom and best practices from industry professionals who are sitting alongside them in the classroom.
“After completing the program, I feel a whole new level of confidence. Not only did I refine my resume, but I also gained a deeper understanding of how to present myself effectively during interviews,” shares Srinidhi Senthil, ‘24 Corporate Accounting and Finance.
But CLI goes beyond resume reviews. The program also focuses on the crucial human element: networking and people skills.
In the second 90-minute session, students partake in intensive Q&A discussions, honing their interview techniques and receiving immediate feedback from experienced professionals on the CLI Professional Advisory Council (PAC).
“The final interview questions in our last session together in the classroom were most helpful. I have been through a couple of interviews in my lifetime so far, but it is invaluable to continue to practice and hone your answers to some of the curveball questions,” shares Westin Bolliger, ’23 Management.
With nearly 44% of SJSU students being the first in their family to attend college, students like Christian Lopez, '24 Finance, found the program beneficial. "I loved CLI,” he says. “I rate it a 10/10.”
“Being a first-generation college student, I don't really have many people around me to seek guidance from. It's nice to finally have an opportunity to learn from people who have firsthand knowledge," he explains.
In a recent survey, 91% of students who completed the program indicated that they would like it to become a part of the core curriculum at SJSU.
“It’s not often you hear that from students,” shares Jordan Walters, SJSU accounting and finance lecturer and CLI founder and program coordinator.
As a result of this input, CLI has been integrated into the core curriculum of some Introduction to Marketing courses and into the Business Honors Program.
“The program is consistently expanding,” says Walters. “Looking ahead, we aspire to make this initiative accessible to all SJSU students, regardless of their major.”
Rangapriya “Priya” Kannan and Jordan Walters. Photo: Adriana Avila.
Jordan Walters presents to a room full of SJSU PAC associates and business students. Photo: Adriana Avila.
Defining Student Success
By SJSU Lecturer and CLI founder and Program Coordinator Jordan Walters
As we enter our fourth semester, the Career Launch Initiative (CLI) stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and shared belief in student success. This program would not be possible without the unwavering support of so many — our administration for taking a leap of faith, our dedicated staff for keeping everything running smoothly, and our Business Honors faculty who have championed CLI from the very beginning.
A special thank you to our CLI PAC associates — our ‘secret sauce’ — who bring invaluable industry insights and mentorship. We are deeply grateful to the Accounting and Finance and Marketing and Business Analytics Departments for their belief in our mission and their continued investment in its growth. To our instructional faculty, now five strong, your dedication to guiding students on their professional journeys is inspiring. The Career Center has provided valuable resources and expertise. And to our marketing communications team, your creativity and amplification of our vision has made a huge impact on our program.
Most of all, to our students — know that we are in your corner, always. Your ambition fuels this initiative, and we are honored to walk alongside you as you launch your careers.
Student success, I believe, is defined as embracing a sense of purpose, stepping into careers that make a significant impact and flourishing with meaningful lives. CLI plays an important role in that journey, providing business students many of the tools to bridge the gap between education and life work. Students come to SJSU eager to learn, explore and thrive. They leave with so much more — personal growth, confidence and a network of people who believe in them. Cheers to you, Spartans!
“Being a first-generation college student, I don't really have many people around me to seek guidance from. It's nice to finally have an opportunity to learn from people who have firsthand knowledge.”
— Christian Lopez, '24 Finance
Christian Lopez
Carston Billy
’24 Management Information Systems
“I just wanted to contact you and thank you for the interview tips that you provided. It really helped my initial interview and helped me find a way to really connect with the hiring manager. I moved forward to the technical one the following day and today I woke up to some great news: I was conditionally offered the position as an IT security analyst. I want to find a long term position as a defender role in cybersecurity, so securing an offer for a position like this was a huge confidence booster in terms of how I look at my future career.
I am currently deciding between this offer and one other. I am super thankful to be in this position and want to thank you for all the help and advice you have provided. You have truly made a difference in my job search and experience and I appreciate it."
Westin Bollinger
'23 Management
“I would rate the overall effectiveness of CLI a solid 10. I would say I was missing half of the important documentation needed in searching for a job. Documents like the ‘Wow Factor’ and a LinkedIn profile were things I had never used or even considered.
“The final interview questions in our last session together in the classroom were most helpful. I have been through a couple of interviews in my lifetime so far, but it is invaluable to continue to practice and hone your answers to some of the curveball questions.
“I certainly believe CLI should be part of the core curriculum. Much like understanding personal finances, these skills and knowledge [are relevant to] any student. If you don’t leverage the Career Center or gain any teachings about this from any other source, you are most likely on your own trying to land a career. The CLI was amazing and, even though it was early in the morning, I wish we had a couple more sessions to meet. Extremely grateful for this opportunity."
Lesley Gonzalez
’24 Entrepreneurship
"I learned a lot of what I should do to prepare myself when I enter the real world after graduation. I think the most helpful thing was having the sessions when you went through everyone’s documents and gave feedback, as well as the interview rounds. CLI is super helpful, and many students would benefit. I also think many students feel overwhelmed when starting these documents and finding the right templates so having this as part of the core curriculum could help."
Ivette Lipets
'24 Finance
“I think this is a super helpful activity that helps prepare for the job search and what to do during the job application process."
Lily Abraha
'24 Finance
“Personally, I appreciated the whole thing. I've never been to a resume workshop or received any advice on building a solid cover letter/resume, and I never even thought about having a thank you letter. But the best part was making my LinkedIn because I didn't even have one before CLI.”
Kaiyah Kenny
'24 Management
"I actually just found out that I'll be starting a new position as admin coordinator for SFSU. To provide context, I applied for the position before Session #1, and got called for an interview the week after, so it gave me some time to prepare! I cannot thank you enough for your guidance, pointers and tips as they greatly assisted me in preparing for the interview. Your support is greatly appreciated!"
Dylan Lofaro
'24 Corporate Accounting and Finance
"I would recommend that CLI be part of the core curriculum. I think that this would be a very beneficial experience for all students as they prepare to embark on the journey of trying to enter into their professional careers. This is one of the practical lessons that would be good for all students."
"This is truly an amazing program that you have put together. It is such an inspiration to see people like yourself and all the mentors on the PAC who are taking the time to do the things that are having a meaningful impact on students and preparing them for life after college. I think it was pretty clear last night that everyone who participated had a very positive experience and truly got something out of it, and this is what it is all about.”
Michael Do
'24 Finance
“The Career Launch Initiative has been extremely insightful! Prior to being exposed to CLI, I only had a somewhat acceptable idea of what a marketable resume would look like and what was expected of me during an interview. After the CLI, however, this changed, as I felt way more confident in my understanding of resumes and interviews.
"In addition, I was also exposed to other professional documents such as the thank you letter, which I found valuable. Overall, my time with the CLI has made me much more prepared for tackling the challenge of obtaining a job. Go Spartans!”
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