Ease Your Job and Internship Search with ePACK

This story was written by Kelsey Davis, a Department of Psychology Peer Ambassador who is majoring in psychology and double minoring in women’s and gender studies and social work.

As students steadily move through their time at NC State by choosing majors, classes, and extracurriculars, they are crafting their paths to future careers. With so many options and opportunities, it can be difficult to know where to begin narrowing down the next steps. To aid in the process of learning about careers, internships and other student employment, NC State provides resources through the Career Development Center, with one notable resource being ePACK. 

ePACK is an online system that gives students access to many career-building resources. These include career counselor meetings, resume-building tips, information about career options and job listings. The portal presents these resources in an easy-to-navigate website to help students become the strongest candidates for future employment. By linking their school profile through Unity ID, students can see their current academic information to build a profile and be shown recommended job opportunities. This makes the user’s search easier while providing more information to potential employers.

To get started with ePACK, users log into the portal with their Unity ID, which connects their academic history with the portal. After this, a student can update their profile and add other information such as expected graduation date, a personal statement, prior job experience, honors and awards and skill sets. Along with that, there is the option to upload a resume to make applying easy, as some job listings have a one-click application option that automatically sends a student’s resume and profile to the employer. Once set up, ePACK will show recommended and trending job listings based on the user’s profile under the “Jobs” page. From there, students may use the search option to filter out the type of employment, industry, location and other criteria. As well as the filter, ePACK aims to simplify the job search even more by marking some jobs with the “Not Qualified” label based on profile information. This can help emphasize jobs best suited to the student’s major, career goals and skills.

ePACK has many resources that can help a student, and it is important to learn how to get the most out of the platform:

1. Read the job listings carefully: As the recommended jobs are shown based on an algorithm, it may be beneficial for the user to look beyond what the portal recommends to ensure they are aware of as many opportunities as possible. Sometimes even jobs labeled as “Not Qualified” may be something of interest, so read descriptions and qualifications closely.
2. Visit an employer’s profile: If a posted listing seems promising but does not quite fit the student’s needs, visiting the employer’s profile may be beneficial. This page may include other job listings from the same employer, more information about their work, or contact information, all of which may lead to more employment opportunities.
3. Don’t be afraid to utilize career counseling: If there are still uncertainties about where to start with career interests, job searching or even building a resume, setting up an appointment can be extremely helpful. Career counseling can help a student learn how to maximize employment desirability and success.
4. Check back frequently: Employers update job listings often, so new opportunities may appear every day. As well as this, some listings expire so it is important to stay up to date with recommended jobs and to apply as soon as possible. Finally, the announcements page is a useful resource to note, as it can show updated information about how to use ePACK, tips for job searches, events around campus and other Career Development Center resources. 

Students may feel overwhelmed at the prospect of life and work after graduation, but NC State provides many resources to help prepare for this transition, including ePACK. Along with other resources and information provided by the Career Development Center, ePACK gives students the tools to build their job experience and professional image, thus setting them on the path to career success.