Symplicity W4FT, WCL CareerLink User Manual

Getting Started with Your CareerLink Account

A User’s Guide to WCL CareerLink, powered by Symplicity

I. Logging On to WCL CareerLink

After you have received your Username and Password, visit the log in screen at
https://law-american-csm.symplicity.com. Select “Students.” Enter your
information in the fields provided, and click “Go.”

At the top of the log in screen, please note the list of available hyperlinks. These
links will direct you to the homepage of the Office of Career & Professional
Development, staff biographies, online resources, WCL calendar, or to WCL
podcasts. You may also click the “Contact” hyperlink to send an email to OCPD.

At the bottom of the log in screen, you will find contact information for the office,
including the general telephone number, email address, and fax number. You
may also link back to the OCPD homepage by selecting the OCPD hyperlink.

Should you forget your password at any time, simply select the “Forgot my
password” tab to the right of the “Sign in” tab. Enter your Username (email
address) and click “Go.” CareerLink will automatically generate a new, unique
password that will be emailed to your account within moments of the request.

Once you receive the CareerLink email containing a newly generated password,
be sure to create a memorable password under your user profile, which will
be discussed later in this guide.

II. Your CareerLink Homepage
The CareerLink Homepage is a hub for a variety of information, including

announcements, quick links, and alerts, among others. You will find a calendar
on the right side of the screen which allows you to track important job application
deadlines, upcoming programs, and your personal schedule of events. We also

encourage you to submit your comments or concerns about the CareerLink system
via the feedback field beneath the calendar.

The homepage also features a useful banner beneath the CareerLink banner that
directs the user to different sections of the system, including:

1. Profile: Allows users to edit their personal, contact, and employment

information on an as-needed basis. Users can also modify their privacy
settings and view an activity summary.

2. Documents: Users can upload their job application materials, storing up to

10 documents at any time (resume, cover letter, writing sample, transcript,
etc.).

3. Jobs & Resume Collection: Search for open employment opportunities

ranging from post-graduate placements to summer internships and resume
collections.

4. Employers: Research employers registered with WCL CareerLink,

searching by practice area or employer type.

5. Networking: Search for WCL alumni and professionals who volunteer to

serve as mentors to current and past WCL students.

6. Clerkships: Access information for different levels of the judiciary via the

Clerkship Module.

7. OCI: Review and apply for on-campus interviews as part of the fall

recruitment program.

8. Events: Find upcoming events and programs sponsored by OCPD, occurring

at WCL or in the DC metro area.

9. Calendar: View events and programs by day, week, month, or year.

III. Creating a User Profile
The CareerLink user profile is an important component of your account. The

settings you establish on your user profile determine which important emails you
receive from the Office of Career & Professional Development, including alerts
about job opportunities, career fairs, events, and more. You can facilitate your
own use of CareerLink by keeping your user profile as up-to-date as possible,
particularly when participating in programs such as fall recruitment, or in
preparation for post-graduate employment.

CareerLink allows you to enter a range of information from personal contact
information to current and prior employment status. Simply follow the

“Completion Status” box on the right side of the screen and be sure to save your
changes after any edits.

After completing your Personal and Academic Information tabs, you will be
asked to modify your privacy settings. It is strongly recommended that you
accept to receive email messages from OCPD; selecting “no” will put you at a
disadvantage as you will not receive critical communications such as those
regarding scholarship programs, employment opportunities, or notices regarding
your CareerLink account.

You may also choose to include your resume in the resume book, which
employers are able to view online. If you select “yes,” please make sure that your
resume has been reviewed thoroughly by an OCPD career counselor.

By looking at the “Completion Status” box, you will be able to see the number of
documents you have uploaded to CareerLink. The steps to upload a document to
the system will be discussed later in the guide.

OCPD encourages students and alumni to keep a record of past and present
employment experiences under the “Employment” tab. Simply select “Add New”
to create the record.

You will find that the Employment section of your user profile is a valuable
tool when creating a new resume or a list of references. You will be asked to
include the name of the employer, a start and end date of employment, location,
job title, and job level (permanent/full-time, summer part-time, etc.).

The Employment section also keeps a record of your supervisor’s name, title, and
contact information. Should you choose to include it, you may save information
about compensation.

As discussed earlier in the guide, you are free to change your password at any
time when using CareerLink by selecting the “Password Preferences” tab on
your user profile.

Enter your old password, and then create a new password in its place. If you are
visually impaired, you may simplify the CareerLink interface to facilitate use of
the system. Remember to save your changes before moving on to another section.

If you have forgotten your password, remember that you can have a new
password generated and emailed to your account from the log in screen.

CareerLink can be used to track your activity in a summary located on your user
profile. By selecting the “Activity Summary” tab, you can review a record of
your use of the system at any time.

Modify the activity summary by narrowing or expanding the date range you
would like to search. This is a great tool to use when applying for employment
opportunities or registering for career-related events and programs.

IV. Uploading Documents to the System

Users can upload a maximum of 10 job search documents at any time. The
process to do so is very simple and requires only a few quick steps. Remember

that you should always have a career counselor review your application materials
before sending them to an employer.

To upload a document, first select the “Documents” tab from the toolbar. Next,
you will see any documents you have currently stored on the system. Notice that
you may view your document as either in either Word or PDF format. You are
free to delete your documents as necessary by clicking the “Delete” button to the
right of the screen.

Beneath your list of documents, you can click “Add New” to upload an additional
document.

The process to add a new document is as follows: first, create a professional label
for you document and select the type of document you will be uploading.

Next, click the “Browse” button to search available files. Once you have located
your document, select “Open” to add it to the list of documents. You will then
click the “Submit” button to upload it to the CareerLink system. Be sure to
review your document once it is on the system for both content and format.

V. Searching for Job or Internship Opportunities

Once you have completed your CareerLink profile and uploaded your resume,
you can begin to search for jobs posted on the system. To do so, you will need to
select the “Jobs & Resume Collection” tab from the toolbar at the top of your
CareerLink homepage.

You can search generally for employment opportunities several different ways,
including:

• By Practice Area

• By Position Type

• By Class Level (year in law school or alumni status)

• By Keyword

Once you have specified job search criteria, you will see a list of positions that
match your preferences. If you want to change certain criterion, select “Clear”
and adjust your search.

If you have very specific search criteria, you may want to use the “Advanced
Search” option. Fields include Practice Area, Position Type, Work Authorization,
Class Level, Employer Type, City, State, and Country. If you utilize multiple
search fields, your results will become increasingly narrow.

Note that you can save any advanced search you run as a “Search Agent.” Once
you save a search, it will be available for you in the future under the “Search
Agents” tab to the right of “Advanced Search.”

Once you have successfully run a job posting search, CareerLink will provide you
with a list of jobs that match your search criteria. Select the job title hyperlink to
view each job posting.

When you have found a job posting that interests you and selected it from the
search results, you will find yourself at the job posting itself. Each job posting
will contain a position description and instructions for application. If the
employer is accepting electronic applications, you will see instructions on “How
to Apply” on the right side of your screen.

You can add any interesting job postings to your “Favorites” by selecting that

button at the bottom of the job posting. When you are ready to apply for the
position, read the application instructions carefully and submit all required
documents by selecting them from the drop down menus beneath each document
type. Note: you will not be able to apply for a position without selecting one of
each required document.

This guide previously discussed the process for uploading documents to the
system under Item IV.

VI. Searching for Employers on CareerLink

If you are interested in a particular employer, practice area, or practice sector, you

may want to search through employer profiles from the Employers section of
CareerLink.

Select the “Employers” tab from the toolbar at the top of the CareerLink

homepage. Next, enter your search criteria: either Employer Type, Practice Area,
or Keyword.

You can also search for employer profiles alphabetically or numerically by
selecting the hyperlinked letters and/or numbers beneath the search fields. Just as
with the job posting searches discussed under Item V, you can save your
employer searches by selected the “Add Favorite” icon to the right of the search
results.

Once you have located an employer of interest, select it by clicking the
corresponding hyperlink under “Organization”.

VII. Viewing and Registering for Events on CareerLink

To view a list of upcoming career-related events and programs at WCL and in
the DC metro area, select the “Events” tab from the toolbar at the top of your
CareerLink homepage.

Initially, CareerLink will populate a list of all upcoming events. This list will
include the name, date, time, and location of the event. You will also see an
RSVP column to the right of the search results. If you would like to browse
through the list in its entirety, you may do so at this time. Events will be listed in
chronological order with the most recent event at the top of the list.

If you are searching for a specific event, you can enter a keyword to find it more
quickly. Similarly, you can narrow the search time frame by selecting a “Session
Start and End Date.”

When you’ve found an event that interests you, you may click on its hyperlinked
name to be directed to the event description. From this screen, you will be able to
submit and RSVP for the event, if required. You will also see the details of the
event, including the location and any registration fees associated with it.

To RSVP for an event, simply click the “RSVP” at the bottom of the posting.
You will receive an email to confirm your registration, and a reminder email near
the date of the event.

If you RSVP for an event and a conflict should arise, you are able to cancel your
RSVP by following the same process. Simply locate the event, and select the
corresponding button at the bottom of the event description. Cancellations should
take place no less than 24 hours in advance of an event or program.

If you have any questions regarding the CareerLink system, please email

[e-mail]

and someone will be able to assist you as soon as possible.