Exploring the Features of College Central Network: A Comprehensive Guide

College Central Network (CCN) serves as a robust platform connecting students and alumni with potential employers and career development resources. It offers a centralized hub for job postings, resume databases, and career-related information, facilitating the transition from academia to the professional world. This article will delve into the various features and policies of College Central Network, highlighting its benefits for both job seekers and employers.

Connecting Employers with Talent

A core function of College Central Network is to bridge the gap between employers seeking talented individuals and students/alumni eager to launch their careers. HACC (Harrisburg Area Community College), like many institutions, utilizes CCN to provide employers with numerous avenues to connect with their student and alumni population, both online and across its campuses.

Employer Services: A Gateway to Potential Employees

HACC recognizes the importance of career readiness and aligns its employer services with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Career Readiness Competencies. This framework ensures that students are well-prepared to achieve their career goals. Employers can leverage HACC's Employer Services to:

Post a Job: The College Central Network platform allows employers to post employment opportunities year-round. This includes sourcing candidates from all majors for internships, full-time positions, and part-time opportunities (including volunteer and work-study roles). It is important to note that HACC does not post unpaid internships for 'for-profit' organizations. To begin, employers can create an account on the platform. Upon approval and completion of the company profile, students gain access to the company's job postings, and employers can search resumes of HACC students and alumni to identify and contact qualified candidates. Employers are encouraged to report their hires of HACC students or alumni.
Employer Spotlights: HACC hosts Employer Spotlights, providing a platform for organizations to raise awareness by tabling in high-traffic areas on campuses. This service is exclusive to employers with College Central Network accounts. A registration fee is required to reserve a date and time, and scheduling is subject to availability. Student participation is not guaranteed.
Career Fairs: Each semester, HACC organizes career fairs where students and alumni can engage with prospective employers. These events offer an efficient way to connect with a large pool of job seekers. A registration fee applies, and space is limited.
Virtual Employer Information Sessions: These sessions feature presentations by company representatives about their industry. Students learn what to expect when entering the field. Presentations cover general company information, team details, and potential job roles. Q&A sessions follow the presentations. Virtual Employer Information Sessions are conducted via Zoom.
Experiential Learning Opportunities and Internships: Organizations can offer experiential learning opportunities and internships, providing unique ways to connect with students.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy: HACC's Career Development Services Unit adheres to federal and state EEO laws, regulations, standards, and guidelines. Employment information is offered without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, veteran status, age (over 40), disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

General Policies for Employers

To foster strategic community partnerships and ensure a fair recruitment process, HACC has established general policies for employers:

Employers must provide a fair and equitable selection of employment opportunities.
Employers must comply with HACC’s College Central Network Policy.
HACC has a No Solicitation Policy that applies to students and businesses selling to and/or recruiting other students.
Recruiters may not enter classrooms to distribute materials or make presentations without prior approval from Career Services and/or the professor of the class they wish to enter.
Career Services cannot guarantee audience attendance, classroom visitation opportunities, or room availability.
Career Services reserves the right to edit, delete, or refuse any experiential learning opportunity and/or job posting.

Prohibited Postings

To protect students and maintain ethical recruitment practices, HACC prohibits the following types of postings:

“Pyramid” or multi-level marketing structures, dual-marketing structures, or positions requiring the recruitment of others.
Jobs/internships requiring the candidate to pay a participation or training fee.
Jobs/internships requiring any form of in-person or online solicitation and/or sales/posting of materials campuswide or in the community.
100% commission positions.
Jobs/internships that violate the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and/or laws enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Contract positions paid via 1099 arrangements, where the employee is an independent contractor.
Private individuals or families seeking in-home, home-based, or personal services.
Solely home-based businesses.
Start-up companies that are based out of a residential address.
Internet-based businesses that have a residential business address.
Fundraising or canvassing in the community or online.
Jobs/internships for political campaigning (with exceptions for politically-affiliated committees based out of the Capitol complex or local legislative district offices).
Staffing/employment agencies who post a position on CCN must disclose the hiring company’s information.

Student and Alumni Policies

The Career Development Services Unit reviews each posting before approving opportunities for students and alumni. Students and alumni are responsible for performing their own due diligence and taking necessary precautions when communicating with recruiters and employers, interviewing, and accepting any opportunities.

College Central Network Policy

By registering, posting, and/or utilizing HACC’s Career Services Platform, users agree to allow their personal and professional information to be used. All users should review the College Central Network privacy policy and all policies under their profile to understand their selections and the impact of their privacy settings.

Student Privacy Policy

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) protects the privacy of student education records.

Navigating College Central Network as a Student or Alumni

College Central Network offers a range of features designed to help students and alumni in their job search:

Registration: Users must register with CCN to utilize its services.
Job Search: The platform allows users to search for part-time jobs, internships, and full-time employment opportunities.
Resume Posting: Students and alumni can post their resumes for employers to view.
Job Search History: Users can review their job search history.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Accessing Your Account: If you’re a student having problems accessing your account, be sure that you're using your N-number to log in, NOT your Net ID.
Updating Account Information: If it’s been a long time since your initial registration, College Central requires you to update your account info before it will allow you to access anything. In that case, go to the "My Account” link located along the left-hand side of your homepage.
Search Functionality: If you've been using the "View Jobs by Keywords" function, be aware that Tisch College Central can be a bit finicky about only pulling up exact matches. If you're using the Advanced Search function, you should also avoid clicking multiple Job Types since that will only pull up jobs that have all of the Job Types you selected, which can often be contradictory. Or just pick the "View All Jobs" option and see everything that's currently available!

Utilizing Advanced Features

Creative Portfolio: The Career Portfolio feature allows you to keep all of your creative materials in one place online, so that it’s easy for employers to see examples of your work. College Central offers several different portfolio templates - most should support file formats that are appropriate for your work, such as mp4 and mov.
Resume Forwarding: If you’d like to forward your resume to a potential employer, select the “Forward Resume” option in the My Resumes section.

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