The Career Development Center (CDC) at the University of New Haven has created a new way for students to find jobs. Partnering with Academi, the CDC has implemented a new software to match students with employers. The university one of the first to use such a program.

Executive Director of Career Development, Matt Caporale, explained that the service is like online dating, where two parties share information, which is then put into an algorithm that matches the candidates. The service requires students to build their profile with search criteria such as who they are, their qualifications and goals. When an employer posts a job, they can simply hit a button that says “show me candidate matches.” The algorithm will run and show candidates along with their contact information.

Caporale said, “So instead of passively waiting for a job seeker to maybe see their posting and apply, it changes the whole nature of the game in that the employer can directly reach out to our students and say, ‘Hey I saw your profile, I think you might be a good fit, would you like to talk about this opportunity.’”

Caporale said the program puts “power in both the students’ hands and the employer’s hands to make stronger connections based off of this detailed algorithm rather than a job board where you stick it on the wall and hope someone walks by and sees it.”

Caporale said that new features are being added and they are in the process of learning what is and is not working. The main thing, he said, is that students spend time building their profiles.

“Don’t just put in the basic minimum, but what you really want to show employers,” Caporale said. “You’ll get more matches and better matches by building out that portfolio.”

The system is available at the charger link, http://unhcareercenter.com/.