TartanTrak (powered by Smyplicity) is a comprehensive online resource developed by Carnegie Mellon University for the career and professional development of students, and to connect students with employers. It provides a centralized system that allows students to build their professional portfolio and network throughout their four years and beyond. Currently, TartanTrak is geared toward the main campus in Pittsburgh, but CMU-Qatar is in the process of developing its own version of the software to meet the specific needs of students and employers in Qatar. However, there are already a number of invaluable resources available – and relevant – to all CMU students worldwide.
Getting Started…
- First, you will need to register for an account. The CMU home campus in Pittsburgh provides each incoming student with a username and password to create an account in TartanTrak. Follow this link: http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/career/tartantrak/. Click on “Job Seeker (Student and Alumni),” then log in with your username and password. Once you’re in, complete your profile information and you are ready to get started using TartanTrak. If you don’t know or can’t find your password, follow the “Forgot Password” link.
- Graduate School Resources: Located to the right of the home page, this link will walk you through the search and application process of graduate school.
- Documents: This tab includes a résumé builder that allows you to construct your résumé from the ground up; you brainstorm and it builds. There are also résumé and cover letter guides. You can start uploading all of your documents in one place.
- My 3D Professional Portfolio: My3D is a professional e-portfolio system in TartanTrak that incorporates your experiences beyond the classroom. In creating a portfolio, you will be able to record, evaluate, and provide supporting media for the experiences and skills you have gained, both in and out of the classroom. These accomplishments can then be shared with potential employers, graduate and professional programs, or archived for personal records.
- Interview Stream: This interactive feature, located in the bottom right corner of the TartanTrak homepage, allows you to simulate a real-time interview. All you need is a computer with a webcam and audio. You pick a category of interview questions generated by the system and answer each one by one. The system records your entire interview and then allows you to play it back for analysis. You can even receive a link to your video, which you then email to the Office of Professional Development, or to faculty or friends, who can meet with you to go over your performance and give you feedback.
- Employers: This database contains 8,372 company profiles. You can browse and see what opportunities these companies have and where you may fit in; or, you can search for a particular company of interest to learn more about it. Most of these companies are based in the U.S., so why should you bother learning about them? First, even though most are based in the U.S., many also have branches throughout the world, and if you decide to pursue one of them for an internship, you will want to know everything about them. Second, this database gives you the opportunity to see what kind of jobs are actually out there, and what people in your field and with your interests do.
- Pro-Net: This is a database of over 500 CMU alumni from the Pittsburgh campus who volunteered to submit their contact information so CMU and CMUQ students can contact them with questions or advice. You can find out what alumni in your field are doing (what types of jobs are available to you?), how they prepared for the “real world,” what to expect from the job search, how to make the most of an internship, etc. This is also a great way to build your professional network, which you should start doing your first year in college.
- Going Global: This feature is located in the bottom right-hand corner of the TartanTrak homepage. It allows you to search for internships and jobs worldwide! You can search by country to see opportunities that are out there, how and when to apply, and what you need to do to prepare for your application. Also on Going Global is a feature that allows you to search for companies in the United States who applied for H1B visas last year. The H1B visa is what is required for non-US citizens to work in the US. The companies that apply for H1B permission are the ones who hired and are interested in hiring non-US citizens.
- Job and Internship Search: Everyone’s favorite. Keep in mind that most of the jobs and internships listed are located in the US. However, some are based in the U.S. with branch opportunities in the Middle East region and throughout the world. Remember to also search on Going Global for internships overseas. A note on the job/internship search feature in TartanTrak: Searching job descriptions should not be an exercise reserved for the last month of your senior year, or only when you are looking for an internship. Job descriptions are where you will find keywords that employers look for in résumés and interviews. You will find out what jobs are out there in your field and what you may want to do. You will find contact information that may lead to an informational interview wherein you simply discuss with someone the nature of his/her job.
For further information or for assistance with TartanTrak please stop by the Office of Professional Development in office 1099.
