New Hampshire University Chooses Online Career Tool Suite
After conducting a search for a new resume builder provider, a New Hampshire university has chosen a suite of Web-based tools to help students prepare to enter the job market or apply for further education.
Southern New Hampshire University has selected the OptimalResume application suite. The suite consists of six components, including OptimalResume, OptimalLetter, OptimalInterview, OptimalEfolio, OptimalAssessment, and OptimalVideoResume.
The university, based in Manchester, will use the tools to help students and alumni find jobs and internships, as well as be admitted into graduate and other post-secondary schools.
"We recently conducted a thorough review of various resume builder providers with a specific focus on ease of use, ease of deployment, and overall functionality. While a number of these firms proved themselves to be capable, we were particularly impressed with the breadth and depth of OptimalResume's application suite," said Carrie Weikel-Delaplane, director of SNHU Career. "They offered us a flexible solution that meets all our current and future needs. We were especially impressed with their ability to uniquely brand the service for our students as well as with the responsiveness of their support staff."
OptimalResume helps job seekers with resume development, presentation, and management. Its tools include previewing, forward and backward navigation, drag-and-drop reordering of sections, and the ability to delete or add sections at any time.
OptimalResume allows users to choose which format they would like their resume in, such as rich text, plain text, PDF, or HTML. In addition, students can download, delete, clone, or rename their resumes. It also provides tools for spell check, format help, and use of action words. Users have 1 million resume styles to choose from.
OptimalLetter helps students build a variety of professional letter types, including cover, application, networking, rejection, withdrawal, broadcast, acceptance, follow-up, and thank-yous. Users can create letters from scratch or use a template.
OptimalInterview provides tools for students to practice screening, behavioral, initial face-to-face, hiring manager, tag team panel, pressure, and final interviews. Users select the length of practice interviews, type of interview, and interviewer. Optimal Interview provides hundreds of questions, or students can develop their own questions.
OptimalEfolio allows students to generate an online portfolio to present to potential employers. It provides two presentation options. File Cabinet portfolio includes tools to upload documents, and provide descriptions and viewing requirements. Compatible file types include .doc, .xls, .pdf, .jpg, .txt., and .wav., and users can also provide links to Web sites. The Slide Show portfolio allows users to present images and include titles and captions.
OptimalAssessment allows job seekers to complete a self-assessment to help them identify their marketable skills. Users can then promote those skills on a Web site they create.
OptimalVideoResume lets students create video resumes. It provides teleprompter tools so students can read a script while they are recording their videos. Optimal Video Resume provides several options for styles as well as skins to frame the video resumes.
Southern New Hampshire University has enrollment of more than 20,000 in 180-plus undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs. Its main campus sits on 300 acres in Manchester, and it also has facilities in Brunswick and Portsmouth. All locations are equipped with wireless Internet access.
For more information about Southern New Hampshire University, visit snhu.edu. Learn more about OptimalResume at optimalresume.com.
About the Author
Tim Sohn is a 10-year veteran of the news business, having served in capacities from reporter to editor-in-chief of a variety of publications including Web sites, daily and weekly newspapers, consumer and trade magazines, and wire services. He can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @editortim.