The Seton Hall Career Center introduced 12twenty as the university’s new career hub in August.
12twenty is a platform that helps students manage their careers by providing them with resources such as interview preparation, job postings, mentorship opportunities and career-specific event listings.
This platform replaces Handshake, which was not highly rated by students for finding internships or networking.
Rheeya Patel, a sophomore majoring in finance, expressed her frustration with Handshake’s interface.
“I see some [internships] from a week ago, two weeks ago,” Patel said. “In a competitive field…it's not the best place to be.”
Erinathalia Reaux, a sophomore studying diplomacy, voiced her experience with finding disingenuous postings on Handshake.
“Anybody can post on Handshake as far as I'm aware, so there have been times where I've run into scam internships,” Reaux said.
12twenty eliminates these problems with an interface that requires organizations to get Career Center approval before posting.
The Career Center sees this as a welcome improvement.
Career Center Director Jorge Rivera and Associate Director Justin Krass said they are excited for students to begin using the new platform.
“What's the sense of having all of these opportunities if they mean nothing to our students?” Rivera said.
“Understand that with 12twenty, these are employers who are looking for you,” Rivera added. “[They’re] specifically looking for Seton Hall students because they're connected to us [the Career Center].”
The Career Center, however, is looking to do more than just improve job and internship searching with 12twenty.
New modules included in 12twenty foster a sense of community for SHU students, alumni, and faculty.
“It also has a mentor module, which we're really excited about,” Krass said. “It's going to have more opportunities to connect within the current student community, but also [with] alumni.”
“It helps build that sense of community, and we want folks to be involved and connected and to have that space, and [12Twenty] is a tool that I think is going to be great for that,” Krass added.
Also, through the platform, SHU seniors can volunteer to mentor underclassmen.
“You’re adding a component of leadership to the seniors, something that I think is going to be very beneficial,” Rivera said.
Due to the platform's novelty, there is currently a limited number of alumni and students in the system.
“It's probably going to take a little bit of time to get built out just because that's how these programs work, but it's going to have more opportunities to connect,” Krass said.
However, positive feedback is already coming from students.
Saniya Laners, a sophomore nursing student, said the platform keeps her informed on career-based events on campus.
“I went to an event that I saw on there…” Laners said. “I got the notification, and it's easy, like you can see what room the event is happening in. It gives you a little panel where there [are] jobs that are kind of matched to you or would be a good fit for you.”
Krass demonstrated a lot of excitement and hope for the platform’s capabilities once given the time to grow.
“Ultimately, career management is a lifelong skill,” Krass said. “And hopefully, [12twenty] is going to help people develop that skill and empower them [to guide] their career where they want to go. 12twenty should give them those tools, and that starting point, those resources.”
Despite the improvements from Handshake to 12twenty, Rivera and Krass acknowledge that there is always room to grow. They urged students to reach out with suggestions for the Career Center so they can better serve the SHU community.
“If you have any feedback regarding 12twenty, if you want to provide information to our team, make sure to email TCCpirates@shu.edu,” Rivera said.
Kaitlyn Campeau is a writer for The Setonian’s News section. She can be reached at kaitlyn.campeau@student.shu.edu.
