alumni_lookup

Phase 7: Career Center (OCPD Partnership & Networking Resources)

Status: ✅ COMPLETE Completed: February 2026 Prerequisites: Phase 1-6 Complete

Last Updated: February 2026

Completion Summary

Phase 7 is fully implemented across all three sub-phases (7.1, 7.2, 7.3).

What Was Implemented

Key Files Created

Category Files
Model app/models/cp/career_resource.rb
Controllers app/controllers/cp/careers_controller.rb, cp/career_resource_downloads_controller.rb, champions/career_resources_controller.rb
Views app/views/cp/careers/show.html.erb, champions/career_resources/ (index, new, edit, _form)
JS app/javascript/controllers/pdf_dropzone_controller.js
Config config/career_resources.yml
Migrations create_cp_career_resources, add_career_event_to_cp_events
Tests 4 test files (model + 3 controllers)
Assets public/images/career/ (8 logo files), public/bg-career.jpg
Analytics champions/stats_controller.rb (career_center action), champions/stats/career_center.html.erb
Helper app/helpers/careers_helper.rb

Deferrals (from Phase 7 Backlog)

Tests

Table of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. Goals & Non-Goals
  3. Terminology
  4. User Stories / JTBD
  5. UX Overview
  6. Detailed Flows
  7. Data Model
  8. Permissions Matrix
  9. Admin & Content Management
  10. Analytics & Instrumentation
  11. Edge Cases
  12. Acceptance Criteria
  13. Implementation Plan (Sub-Phases)
  14. Test Plan
  15. Backlog / Future

1. Summary

Phase 7 creates a Career Center - a centralized hub that delivers on Belmont’s promise: your relationship with Belmont doesn’t end at graduation. The Career Center empowers alumni to self-serve with downloadable networking guides, curated external career links, career-tagged events, and peer-to-peer connections (Phase 10) - with OCPD (Office of Career and Professional Development) available as a supplementary resource when additional support is needed.

Component Description Accessibility
Career Center Hub Curated landing page with self-serve resources, external career links, career-tagged events, and OCPD as a supplementary resource Public - No login required
Networking & Professional Development Resources Downloadable PDF guides (conversation scripts, starter guides, networking tips) to help Champions maximize their connections Logged-in Champions - Verified account recommended

Why This Phase Exists

Champions frequently ask: “How do I make the most of my Belmont network?” The current answer has been “reach out to OCPD” - but OCPD’s primary mission is serving current students, especially during the academic year. When alumni are pointed to OCPD as the default, they often receive delayed responses or are deprioritized, leading to underwhelming experiences that erode trust in the alumni network.

The Career Center flips this model. Instead of funneling alumni directly to an overloaded office, we provide everything an alumni needs to self-serve:

The goal is to set alumni up for success before they ever need to contact OCPD - and to set realistic expectations when they do. Belmont is your career partner for life, and the Career Center is how we deliver on that promise at scale.

Strategic Framing: Self-Service First

The Career Center’s hierarchy is intentional:

  1. Self-serve resources (guides, links, events) - Available immediately, no wait, no scheduling
  2. Peer-to-peer connections (Phase 10) - Alumni helping alumni, mentoring, networking
  3. OCPD - Professional career services, available when you need personalized 1:1 support

This protects OCPD’s bandwidth for students while still honoring the lifelong partnership promise. Alumni get better outcomes (immediate access to resources) and OCPD gets fewer cold outreach requests from alumni who just needed a conversation script or a link to Handshake.

Relationship to Phase 10 (Connections)

Phase 10 introduces structured Connection Requests between Champions. One of Phase 10’s explicitly deferred items is “conversational scripts / guided prompts” with the note: “Will live in Career Hub as a resource.”

Phase 7 delivers on that promise by providing downloadable PDF guides that help Champions:

These resources complement the Connections system without adding complexity to the Connection Request flow itself.

2. Goals & Non-Goals

2.1 Goals

# Goal Success Indicator
G1 Empower alumni to self-serve career needs without requiring OCPD contact 80%+ of Career Center visitors engage with self-serve resources (guides, links, events) before/instead of contacting OCPD
G2 Provide practical networking tools (downloadable guides) 200+ PDF downloads in first 90 days
G3 Integrate career events into existing events system Career events discoverable via standard events flow
G4 Support Phase 10 Connections with conversation resources Champions reference guides when requesting connections
G5 Reduce direct alumni demand on OCPD while maintaining the partnership OCPD reports reduced cold outreach from alumni who can now self-serve

2.2 Non-Goals

# Non-Goal Rationale
N1 Job board / job postings Removed from scope - focus on self-serve career resources
N2 Application tracking (ATS) Out of scope entirely
N3 Resume database or profile matching Out of scope
N4 Employer/company accounts Out of scope
N5 In-app content authoring for guides PDF uploads managed by admin; no rich editor needed
N6 User-generated resource submissions Staff curate all resources

3. Terminology

Term Definition
Career Center Public landing page at /careers with OCPD resources, networking guides, external links, and career events
OCPD Office of Career and Professional Development (Belmont partner)
Networking Resource A downloadable PDF guide (conversation script, starter guide, tips sheet) to help Champions network effectively
Career Event An event tagged with career_event: true in the existing events system
Resource Category Grouping for networking resources (e.g., “Conversation Starters”, “Career Advice Prep”, “Follow-Up Templates”)

4. User Stories / JTBD

4.1 Champions (Resource Seekers)

CR1: Discover Career Resources

When I need career guidance at any stage of my career, I want to find self-serve resources (guides, links, tools) that help me immediately, so I can take action on my career without waiting for a callback or scheduling an appointment.

Acceptance: Career Center leads with actionable self-serve resources (downloadable guides, external links, career events). OCPD is presented as an additional resource for personalized support, not the primary call-to-action.

CR2: Prepare for a Networking Conversation

When I’m about to connect with a fellow Bruin (via Phase 10 Connections), I want to download a guide with conversation starters, so I can feel confident and make the interaction productive.

Acceptance: Champion can browse and download PDF guides organized by connection type (Career Advice, Networking, Say Hi, etc.).

CR3: Follow Up After a Connection

When I’ve had a great conversation with a Champion, I want to know the best way to follow up, so I can build a lasting professional relationship.

Acceptance: Follow-up templates and tips are available as downloadable resources.

4.2 Engagement Team (Administrators)

CR4: Manage Resources

When new networking guides are created, I want to upload them to the Career Center, so I can keep the resource library current and relevant.

Acceptance: Staff can add, edit, reorder, and remove resources from the admin interface.

CR5: Track Career Feature Usage

When reporting on Champion Portal value, I want to see career feature metrics, so I can demonstrate ROI and identify improvements.

Acceptance: Admin can see Hub views, resource downloads, and career event engagement.

4.3 Alignment with Existing JTBD

Existing Job Phase 7 Connection
C1: Find My Tribe Career resources help Champions find professional communities
C7: Give Back Without Hassle Networking guides make it easy to help others with career advice
Phase 10 Connections Conversation scripts directly support the Connection Request flow; self-serve resources reduce dependency on OCPD for basic networking guidance

5. UX Overview

5.1 Information Architecture

/careers (Career Center) - PUBLIC
  Hero: "Your Career Partner for Life"
  Subtitle: "Your Belmont degree never expires - and neither does our commitment to your career."
  Networking & Professional Development Resources (self-serve guides)
    Resource cards organized by category
    [Download PDF] buttons
    [Login CTA for non-authenticated users]
  Quick Links Grid (external career tools & platforms)
  Career Events Section (from events with career_event=true)
  OCPD Partnership Section (supplementary resource, lower on page)

5.2 Visual Hierarchy (Career Center)

The Career Center is a single-page landing experience with an intentional hierarchy: self-serve first, OCPD as backup.

  1. Hero - “Your Career Partner for Life” with subtitle “Your Belmont degree never expires - and neither does our commitment to your career.” CTA: “Browse Resources” (scrolls to guides section)
  2. Networking Resources - Cards grouped by category with title, description, and [Download PDF] button. This is the primary content - practical, immediate, no appointment needed.
  3. Quick Links - Grid of external resource cards (Handshake, LinkedIn Learning, Indeed, Glassdoor) - tools alumni can use right now
  4. Career Events - Next 5 upcoming events tagged career_event: true, linking to event detail pages
  5. OCPD Partnership - Card positioned lower on the page with message: “Need more personalized support? OCPD offers free career services to all Belmont alumni.” Links to consultation booking, resume review, etc.

Design Intent: A visitor should encounter 3-4 sections of immediately actionable self-serve resources before reaching OCPD. The message is: “Here’s everything you need - and if you need more, they’re here for you too.”

5.3 Resource Card Design

Each networking resource displays as a card within its category:

6. Detailed Flows

6.1 Flow: View Career Center (Public)

  1. User visits alumnichampions.com/careers
  2. Public landing page renders (no auth required)
  3. User sees Hero, Networking Resources, Quick Links, Career Events, and OCPD sections
  4. External links (Quick Links, OCPD) open in new tab
  5. Career Events link to standard event detail pages

6.2 Flow: Download Networking Resource

  1. Champion browses Networking Resources section on /careers
  2. Resources displayed by category with card layout
  3. Champion clicks [Download PDF] on a resource card
  4. Activity event resource_downloaded recorded
  5. PDF file downloads via Active Storage
  6. download_count incremented on the resource

For unauthenticated users:

6.3 Flow: Career Events Integration

Events with career_event: true appear in two places:

  1. Career Center (/careers) - “Career Events” section shows next 5 career-tagged events
  2. Standard Events (/events) - Career events included normally, with a “Career Event” badge

Implementation:

6.4 Flow: Staff Manage Resources

  1. Staff visits /champions/career_resources (admin namespace)
  2. Lists all resources with category, name, download count
  3. Staff clicks [Add Resource]
    • Form: Title, Description, Category (select), PDF upload (drag/drop), Position
  4. Staff can reorder, edit, or deactivate resources
    • Edit: Change title, description, category, replace PDF
    • Deactivate: Hide from public view (soft remove)
    • Reorder: Position number within category
  5. Changes take effect immediately on /careers

7. Data Model

7.1 New Tables

cp_career_resources

Column Type Constraints Notes
id bigint PK  
title string(150) NOT NULL Resource name
description text   Brief description shown on card
category string(50) NOT NULL Grouping (e.g., “Getting Started”, “Career Advice”)
position integer NOT NULL, default: 0 Sort order within category
active boolean NOT NULL, default: true Visible on public page
download_count integer default: 0 Analytics counter
created_at datetime    
updated_at datetime    

Attachments: has_one_attached :document (PDF via Active Storage)

Indexes:

7.2 Modifications to Existing Tables

cp_events

Column Type Change
career_event boolean ADD - default: false

7.3 Model Definition

# app/models/cp/career_resource.rb
class Cp::CareerResource < ApplicationRecord
  self.table_name = "cp_career_resources"

  has_one_attached :document

  scope :active, -> { where(active: true) }
  scope :by_category, ->(cat) { where(category: cat) if cat.present? }
  scope :ordered, -> { order(:category, :position, :title) }
  scope :grouped_by_category, -> { active.ordered.group_by(&:category) }

  validates :title, presence: true, length: { maximum: 150 }
  validates :category, presence: true, length: { maximum: 50 }
  validates :document, presence: true
  validate :document_is_pdf

  CATEGORIES = [
    "Getting Started",
    "Career Advice Conversations",
    "Networking & Job Seeking",
    "Follow-Up & Relationship Building"
  ].freeze

  def increment_download!
    increment!(:download_count)
  end

  private

  def document_is_pdf
    return unless document.attached?
    unless document.content_type == "application/pdf"
      errors.add(:document, "must be a PDF file")
    end
  end
end

8. Permissions Matrix

Action Unauthenticated Email Verified Champion Verified CL Staff
View Career Center Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Click external links Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
View career events Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
View resource cards Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Download PDF resources No (login CTA) No Yes Yes Yes
Manage resources (admin) No No No No Yes
Tag events as career events No No No No Yes

Note: Resource cards (title, description, category) are visible to everyone. Downloading the actual PDF requires a verified Champion account. This creates a light funnel for non-members: “Log in to download these free networking guides.”

9. Admin & Content Management

9.1 OCPD Partnership Content (Hardcoded)

The OCPD section is intentionally positioned below the self-serve resources (guides, links, events). The tone should communicate: “You’ve got great tools above - and if you need more personalized support, OCPD is here for you.” This framing avoids making OCPD the default action (which has historically resulted in alumni being deprioritized behind students) while still honoring the lifelong partnership.

This content is managed in the view template, not a database.

Hardcoded Resources:

Resource Link Description
Book a Consultation https://calendly.com/belmont-ocpd Free 30-minute career consultations for personalized guidance
Resume Review https://forms.belmont.edu/resume-review Upload resume for professional feedback
LinkedIn Help https://linkedin.com/learning LinkedIn Learning access
Handshake https://belmont.joinhandshake.com Job/internship platform
Career Events Internal /events?career=true Portal career events

Note: LinkedIn Learning, Handshake, and Career Events also appear in the Quick Links section higher on the page. Including them here provides a complete picture of OCPD’s services for alumni who scroll directly to this section.

Messaging Copy (Hero & OCPD Section):

Element Copy
Hero Headline “Your Career Partner for Life”
Hero Subtitle “Your Belmont degree never expires - and neither does our commitment to your career.”
Hero CTA “Browse Resources” (scrolls to guides section)
OCPD Section Header “Need More Personalized Support?”
OCPD Lead-in “Belmont’s Office of Career and Professional Development offers free career services to all alumni. Whether you need a resume review, interview prep, or career strategy session - they’re here for you.”
OCPD CTA “Book a Free Consultation”
OCPD Expectation Note “OCPD’s primary focus is current students during the academic year. Alumni consultations may have longer scheduling windows during peak periods (September-November, January-April).”

Contact Information:

Channel Value
Website https://www.belmont.edu/career-development/
Email careerdevelopment@belmont.edu
Phone 615-460-6490
Office Jack C. Massey Center, Suite 214
Hours Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm CT
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bucareerdevelop/

External resources displayed in the Career Center. Managed via YAML for easy updates:

# config/career_resources.yml
quick_links:
  - name: Handshake
    url: https://belmont.joinhandshake.com
    description: Jobs & internships for students and alumni
    icon: handshake

  - name: LinkedIn Learning
    url: https://linkedin.com/learning
    description: Free courses for professional development
    icon: linkedin

  - name: Indeed
    url: https://indeed.com
    description: Search millions of job listings
    icon: search

  - name: Glassdoor
    url: https://glassdoor.com
    description: Company reviews and salary data
    icon: building

9.3 Staff Resource Management

Add resource management to the existing Champion Admin namespace:

Route: /champions/career_resources

Views:

Actions:

9.4 Suggested Initial Resources

These PDF guides should be created (content by Engagement Team / OCPD) and uploaded at launch:

Category Resource Title Purpose
Getting Started Networking 101: A Bruin Starter Guide Overview of networking through the Champion Portal
Getting Started Your First Connection: What to Say Conversation script for first-time connection requests
Getting Started Making the Most of Your Bruin Network Tips for leveraging alumni connections effectively
Career Advice Conversations Asking for Career Advice: A Conversation Script Step-by-step guide for requesting career guidance
Career Advice Conversations Giving Career Advice: Best Practices Tips for Champions who want to help others
Networking & Job Seeking The Informational Interview Guide How to request and conduct informational interviews
Networking & Job Seeking Talking About Your Job Search Scripts for networking when you’re actively job seeking
Follow-Up & Relationship Building After the Conversation: Follow-Up Templates Email/message templates for post-connection follow-up
Follow-Up & Relationship Building Building Long-Term Professional Relationships Guide to maintaining professional connections over time

10. Analytics & Instrumentation

10.1 Activity Events

Add to Cp::ActivityEvent::EVENT_TYPES:

Event Trigger Metadata
career_center_view Visit /careers { source: referrer }
resource_downloaded Download a PDF resource { resource_id: id, category: category }

10.2 Dashboard Metrics

Add “Career Center” section to Staff admin dashboard:

Metric Calculation
Career Center Views (period) Count of career_center_view events
Resource Downloads (period) Count of resource_downloaded events
Top Downloaded Resources Ranked by download_count
Career Events (upcoming) Count of career_event: true events

11. Edge Cases

Scenario Behavior
No career events exist Hide “Career Events” section entirely (don’t show empty state)
No resources uploaded yet Show friendly message: “Resources coming soon!”
Resource PDF is very large (>10MB) Validate max file size on upload; show error
Resource deleted while someone is downloading Active Storage handles gracefully; subsequent clicks show 404
Non-authenticated user clicks Download Redirect to sign-in with return_to pointing back to /careers
Staff deactivates a resource Immediately hidden from public page; existing download links still work

12. Acceptance Criteria

12.1 Career Center Hub

12.2 Networking & Professional Development Resources

12.3 Career Events Integration

12.4 Staff Resource Management

12.5 Analytics

13. Implementation Plan (Sub-Phases)

Sub-Phase 7.1: Data Model & Career Center Page

Status: ✅ Complete Completed: February 2026 Goal: Create database table, public Career Center page with self-serve-first layout (resources, links, events above OCPD section)

Deliverables:

Key Files to Create:

db/migrate/YYYYMMDD_create_cp_career_resources.rb
db/migrate/YYYYMMDD_add_career_event_to_cp_events.rb
app/models/cp/career_resource.rb
app/controllers/cp/careers_controller.rb
app/views/cp/careers/show.html.erb
config/career_resources.yml
test/models/cp/career_resource_test.rb
test/controllers/cp/careers_controller_test.rb

Sub-Phase 7.2: Resource Downloads & Staff Management

Status: Complete Completed: February 2026 Goal: Champions can download resources; Staff can manage resources via admin

Deliverables:

Key Files Created:

app/controllers/cp/career_resource_downloads_controller.rb
app/controllers/champions/career_resources_controller.rb
app/javascript/controllers/pdf_dropzone_controller.js
app/views/champions/career_resources/index.html.erb
app/views/champions/career_resources/new.html.erb
app/views/champions/career_resources/edit.html.erb
app/views/champions/career_resources/_form.html.erb
test/controllers/cp/career_resource_downloads_controller_test.rb
test/controllers/champions/career_resources_controller_test.rb
test/fixtures/files/test_pdf.pdf
test/fixtures/cp/career_resources.yml

Key Files Modified:

config/routes.rb (added download + admin CRUD routes)
app/views/cp/careers/show.html.erb (replaced placeholder with download link)

Design Decisions:

Sub-Phase 7.3: Career Events & Analytics

Status: ✅ Complete Completed: February 2026 Goal: Events can be tagged as career events; analytics dashboard section added

Deliverables:

Key Files to Modify:

app/views/champions/events/_form.html.erb (add checkbox)
app/models/cp/event.rb (add scope)
app/views/cp/careers/show.html.erb (add career events section)
app/views/cp/events/_event_card.html.erb (add badge)
app/controllers/champions/dashboard_controller.rb (add career metrics)
app/views/champions/dashboard/_career_metrics.html.erb
test/models/cp/event_test.rb

14. Test Plan

14.1 Model Tests

Model Test Cases
Cp::CareerResource Validations (required fields, PDF type, length limits), scopes (active, ordered, grouped_by_category), increment_download!, document attachment
Cp::Event career_event attribute, career_events scope

14.2 Controller Tests

Controller Test Cases
Cp::CareersController Public access, renders Hub content, shows career events, shows resources
Cp::CareerResourceDownloadsController Auth required, increments download count, records activity event, returns PDF
Champions::CareerResourcesController Staff-only access, CRUD operations, PDF upload, deactivate/reactivate

14.3 Integration Tests

Flow Test Cases
Public Hub View Unauthenticated user sees all sections, external links work
Download Resource Champion downloads PDF, count increments, event recorded
Admin CRUD Staff creates resource with PDF, edits it, deactivates it
Career Events Admin tags event, event appears on Career Center and Events page

15. Backlog / Future

Features explicitly deferred from Phase 7:

Feature Description Reason for Deferral Potential Phase
Job board / job postings Champion-powered job listings Removed from scope to focus on career resources and OCPD partnership Backlog (revisit based on demand)
Saved job searches & alerts Search criteria + email notifications Dependent on job board Backlog
Video resources Embedded video guides alongside PDFs PDF-first for simplicity; add video support if demand emerges Backlog
OCPD content management Admin-editable OCPD section (not hardcoded) Hardcoded is sufficient for MVP; OCPD content changes rarely Backlog
Resource ratings / feedback Champions rate helpfulness of guides Adds complexity; gauge demand first Backlog
In-app content viewer View PDFs inline without downloading Browser handles PDF viewing; dedicated viewer is nicety Backlog

Appendix A: OCPD Resources (Hardcoded Content)

Confirm URLs and contact info with OCPD before implementation.

A.1 Primary Services

Service Description Link
Career Consultations 30-minute one-on-one sessions with career counselors https://calendly.com/belmont-ocpd
Resume Review Upload resume for professional feedback https://forms.belmont.edu/resume-review
LinkedIn Optimization Profile review and enhancement tips https://linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/XXX
Interview Prep Mock interviews and preparation resources https://belmont.edu/ocpd/interview-prep
Job Search Strategy Personalized job search coaching https://calendly.com/belmont-ocpd/strategy

A.2 External Resources

Resource Description Link
Handshake Job/internship platform for students and alumni https://belmont.joinhandshake.com
LinkedIn Learning Free professional development courses https://linkedin.com/learning
Indeed Job search engine https://indeed.com
Glassdoor Company reviews and salary data https://glassdoor.com
CareerBuilder Job listings and resume posting https://careerbuilder.com

A.3 Contact Information

Channel Value
Website https://www.belmont.edu/career-development/
Email careerdevelopment@belmont.edu
Phone 615-460-6490
Office Jack C. Massey Center, Suite 214
Hours Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm CT
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bucareerdevelop/

A.4 Event Types to Tag as Career Events

When creating events, apply career_event: true for:

Document created: January 2026 Revised: February 2026 - Removed Job Board; added Networking & Professional Development Resources Status: Ready for Implementation Review