Career Exploration and Success at Rutgers University–New Brunswick

What Career Exploration and Success at Rutgers University–New Brunswick does

Career Exploration and Success (CES) is the central career services office of Rutgers University–New Brunswick, a public state research university founded in 1766 that serves more than 40,000 undergraduate and graduate students across four campuses (New Brunswick, Camden, Newark, and RBHS). CES delivers free career advising, resume and interview support, career fairs, workshops, mentorship, and experiential learning programs to current Rutgers students and recent alumni, operating from offices at 106 Somerset Street on College Ave Campus and 604 Bartholomew Road on Busch Campus with a staff of over 50 full-time professionals and graduate coordinators, supplemented by more than 150 undergraduate student workers.

The office's core technology stack is anchored by Rutgers Handshake, the dominant career services platform used to post job and internship listings, schedule advising appointments, register for events, and connect students with recruiters, augmented by an integration with Big Interview Resume AI for AI-assisted resume building and virtual mock interviews. Additional integrated tools include GoinGlobal (international job search), Vault Industry Guides, Forage job simulations, Traitify, and the Strong Interest Inventory for self-discovery assessments. Signature programs include the Knights of the Round Table employer partnership program, the Scarlet Career Mentoring Network, the Career Closet (free professional attire), Career Portrait Lounge (free headshots), the Career & Internship Guide content library, and experiential initiatives such as the Rutgers Scarlet Service Internship (RSSI), Intern for a Day (IFAD), Rutgers Internship and Co-op Course (RICC), Student Employee Enrichment (SEE), and First-Year Interest Group Seminars (FIGS).

CES is funded through university budgets and state appropriations rather than commercial revenue. All student and alumni services are free of charge; the only direct revenue signals are employer registration fees for career fairs. The office operates an event-driven go-to-market model anchored on the large-scale Fall Career & Internship Mega Fair, which attracts 325+ employers and 7,000+ student check-ins. In 2025, CES was elevated to Assistant Vice Provost level under Executive Director Wil Jones, and the office's expansion is currently organized around a five-pillar 'Career Ready Campus: Roadmap 2030' strategic plan, recently recognized with the 2026 EAB Experiential Learning Award.

Name

Career Exploration and Success at Rutgers University–New Brunswick

Legal name

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Website

https://careers.rutgers.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1766

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Career Exploration and Success is the central career services office at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, providing free advising, recruiting events, and experiential learning programs to 40,000+ students and alumni via the Handshake platform, Big Interview Resume AI, and the Knights of the Round Table employer partnership program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

University Career Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Graduate & Professional School Preparation (EDALABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Career Readiness & Employability Skills (Resume, Interview, Networking) (EDAMAKAG), Resume / Activities List / Portfolio Development (EDANAEAG), Mentorship & Coaching (Career, Academic, Industry-Specific) (EDAMAKAA)

Keywords

• Career services
• University career advising
• Career development programs
• Internship placement support
• Career education

Headquarters

HQ city

New Brunswick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. University-funded Public Service: As a department of Rutgers University, Career Exploration and Success is funded through university budgets and state funding. All services are provided free of charge to students and alumni.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Career Exploration and Success (CES) is the centralized career services department of Rutgers University–New Brunswick, delivering free career advising, job and internship listings, resume and interview preparation, career fairs, mentoring, and experiential learning programs to more than 40,000 students and alumni across four campuses. Core services are accessed through the Rutgers Handshake platform and delivered through on-campus advising offices, workshops, large-scale recruiting events (e.g., the Fall Career & Internship Mega Fair), signature programs (SEE, IFAD, RSSI, RICC, FIGS), and the Knights of the Round Table employer partnership program.

Product overview

Career Exploration and Success (CES) at Rutgers University–New Brunswick is a career services department offering a unified platform of career development resources and programs. The core offerings center on Handshake (Rutgers), a comprehensive career services platform providing job listings, advising appointments, and event registration, complemented by the AI-powered Big Interview Resume AI tool for resume building and interview preparation. CES delivers services through Career Communities organized by industry interest, combined with signature programs including the Career & Internship Guide, Career Closet (professional attire), Career Portrait Lounge (headshots), and Career Fairs (with the major Fall Mega Fair attracting 7,000+ students and 325+ employers). Experiential learning is supported through the Rutgers Scarlet Service Internship (RSSI) Program, Intern for a Day (IFAD), Rutgers Internship and Co-op Course (RICC), and First-Year Interest Group Seminars (FIGS). The Student Employee Enrichment (SEE) Program elevates on-campus employment as career readiness, while the #Rutgersworks Free Tuition Challenge gamifies engagement. Employer partnerships are managed through the Knights of the Round Table (KoRT) program, and mentorship is facilitated via the Scarlet Career Mentoring Network. All offerings are accessible through the strategic framework of Roadmap 2030, organized around five pillars: self-discovery, career exploration, professional competency development, post-graduation goals, and campus-wide career readiness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Handshake: Rutgers Handshake is the primary career platform for students to view job and internship listings, schedule appointments with career advisers, network with recruiters, and register for events.
• The Career Closet
• Knights of the Round Table (KoRT)
• Scarlet Career Mentoring Network
• Rutgers Scarlet Service Internship Initiative (RSSI)
• Student Employee Enrichment (SEE) Program
• #Rutgersworks Free Tuition Challenge

Products and services

• Rutgers Handshake Platform Primary digital career services platform for Rutgers students and alumni, providing access to thousands of job and internship listings, appointment scheduling with career advisers, employer reviews, recruiter networking, event registration, and exclusive online resources. Available 24/7 to students, alumni, and employers.
• Big Interview Resume AI AI-powered online tool accessible through Rutgers Handshake for creating professional resumes and practicing virtual mock interviews. Provides instant, tailored feedback on resumes, Resume Curriculum for guided learning, and Resume Builder for creation.
• Career Advising One-on-one and small-group career guidance services including drop-in advising, scheduled appointments, and group sessions. Expanded through the Industry Consultant Program and Peer Career Educator Program.
• Career & Internship Guide Comprehensive online resource providing articles, tips, and guidance covering career planning, networking, job search strategies, resume writing, interview techniques, job offer negotiations, and graduate school planning.
• Career & Internship Fairs Large-scale recruiting events attracting hundreds of recruiters. The Fall Career & Internship Mega Fair is among the nation's largest with 7,000+ student check-ins and 325+ employers across 4 campuses. Features position-specific days segmented by industry.
• Workshops Career readiness workshops covering job search strategies, resume writing, interview preparation, fair preparation, salary negotiation, and professional development topics. Offered in-person and virtually.
• Career Closet Free professional clothing resource for Rutgers–New Brunswick students. Offers new and gently used professional attire to help students make strong impressions at interviews, internships, and career fairs. Located on College Avenue Campus.
• Career Portrait Lounge Free professional headshot photography service for Rutgers–New Brunswick students. Provides professional photos for LinkedIn, Handshake, and other professional profile photos.
• Scarlet Career Mentoring Network Mentorship program connecting students with alumni and industry professionals for career guidance, networking, and professional development opportunities.
• Career Communities Interest-based communities connecting students with tailored resources, networks, and opportunities aligned with specific career fields including Arts/Media/Communications, Business/HR, Education/Law/Government/Social Impact, Healthcare/Life Sciences, Food/Agriculture/Animals/Environment, and Technology/Engineering/Applied Sciences.
• Student Employee Enrichment (SEE) Program Program empowering students to reframe student employment as a career readiness opportunity. Provides reflection activities, supervisor training, recognition opportunities, and access to professional development resources including Forage simulations.
• Rutgers Scarlet Service Internship (RSSI) Program Experiential learning program advancing civic engagement, dialogue across differences, and commitment to the common good through public service internships. Recognized with the 2026 EAB Experiential Learning Award.
• Intern for a Day (IFAD) Short-term experiential program allowing students to shadow professionals and observe typical workday experiences in careers they are interested in pursuing.
• Rutgers Internship and Co-op Course (RICC) Academic course option for students participating in internships or co-ops, allowing for integration of experiential learning with academic credit.
• First-Year Interest Group Seminars (FIGS) First-year seminars introducing career exploration concepts in the classroom with refined curriculum to expand enrollment and sustain engagement beyond the course.
• #Rutgersworks Free Tuition Challenge Gamified engagement initiative encouraging students to participate in career readiness activities. Students earn stamps toward their gameboard by attending events and completing career development tasks.
• Knights of the Round Table (KoRT) Premier employer partnership program providing exclusive employer branding opportunities on campus and at career fairs. Partner employers include Bloomberg, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Pfizer, L3Harris, Enterprise Mobility, and others.
• Employer Information Sessions Sessions where employers present information about their organizations, culture, and opportunities to Rutgers students. Part of the Industry Connect Series and employer networking events.
• Job Offer Evaluation Tool Online tool helping students evaluate and compare multiple job or internship offers based on their unique values and preferences when reviewing opportunities.
• Graduate Student Career Pathways Program Specialized career programming and resources designed specifically for graduate students, including mentorship opportunities and career planning support.
• 4WARD: Career Pathways Program Career pathways initiative helping students connect academic experiences with career development goals and professional readiness.
• Bright Futures Internship Fund Financial support program helping students access internship opportunities by offsetting costs associated with unpaid or low-paid internships.
• Excellence in Career Readiness Awards Recognition program honoring students who demonstrate exceptional career readiness competencies and professional development achievements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,000+ student/alumni check-ins at last year's 4-day Career Fair
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

AI capability3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Johnson & JohnsoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier employer partner through the Knights of the Round Table (KoRT) program. Johnson & Johnson actively recruits Rutgers students for internships and full-time positions. Their representative Jamil Price has praised CES staff accessibility and strategic partnership efforts. Johnson & Johnson also sponsored the Career Portrait Lounge Photo Booth at CES events.
• MerckcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer sponsor through the Knights of the Round Table program, recruiting at Rutgers career fairs and events.
• PfizercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer sponsor through the Knights of the Round Table program at the Fall Career & Internship Mega Fair.
• BloombergcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer partner logo displayed on CES homepage as Knights of the Round Table sponsor.
• FirstEnergycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer partner and KoRT sponsor. FirstEnergy sponsored the International Student and Internship Job Search content.
• Garg Consulting ServicescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer sponsor through the Knights of the Round Table program at the Fall Career & Internship Mega Fair.
• L3HarriscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer partner logo displayed on CES homepage as Knights of the Round Table sponsor.
• Aurobindo PharmacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer partner logo displayed on CES homepage as Knights of the Round Table sponsor.
• Enterprise MobilitycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer partner logo displayed on CES homepage as Knights of the Round Table sponsor.
• ConstellationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer partner logo displayed on CES homepage as Knights of the Round Table sponsor.
• CintascoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer partner logo displayed on CES homepage as Knights of the Round Table sponsor.
• StrykercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer partner logo displayed on CES homepage as Knights of the Round Table sponsor.
• SHI InternationalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer partner logo displayed on CES homepage as Knights of the Round Table sponsor.
• Liberty Coca-ColacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer partner logo displayed on CES homepage as Knights of the Round Table sponsor.
• US BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer partner logo displayed on CES homepage as Knights of the Round Table sponsor.
• VerizoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer partner logo displayed on CES homepage as Knights of the Round Table sponsor.
• Uncommon SchoolscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer partner logo displayed on CES homepage as Knights of the Round Table sponsor.
• SIXTcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployer partner logo displayed on CES homepage as Knights of the Round Table sponsor.
• Rutgers GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner providing workshops on Curricular Practical Training (CPT), Optional Practical Training (OPT), off-campus employment, and international student support. Rutgers Global helps international students complete necessary forms for work authorization.
• JCPenneyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSuit-Up partnership providing 30% off coupons to Rutgers community for professional attire through text-to-join campaign.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• LinkedIn: The dominant professional networking and recruiting platform. Rutgers students and employers use LinkedIn alongside CES, and LinkedIn increasingly offers career exploration, learning, and AI-driven profile tools that overlap with CES offerings.
• Indeed: Major job search and employer recruiting platform widely used by Rutgers students and alumni. Comparable as a broad incumbent in entry-level and internship recruiting that competes with Handshake-mediated listings surfaced by CES.

Emerging players

• Forage: Provider of virtual job simulations that Rutgers CES has integrated into Handshake. Comparable as an emerging career-readiness tool that competes for the same experiential-learning use case and could be adopted directly by students without CES intermediation.
• Big Interview: AI-powered mock interview and resume platform whose Resume AI module Rutgers CES licenses and embeds into Handshake. Comparable as a vendor whose product partially substitutes for in-house career advising.

Direct peers

• Handshake: The career services platform that Rutgers CES uses as its primary system for job postings, advising appointments, and event registration. Comparable because Handshake effectively substitutes or augments many functions a university career office would otherwise build, and competes for the same student and employer mindshare.
• NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development: NYU's central career services office serving a large urban student body with advising, employer events, and Handshake integration. Comparable scale and function as a major private research university career office.
• Columbia Center for Career Education: Columbia's career services office serving undergraduate and graduate students with advising, fairs, and employer engagement in a New York City market. Comparable in delivery model, employer relationships, and use of Handshake.
• Stanford Career Education: Stanford's central career services office serving undergraduate and graduate students with advising, employer recruiting, and experiential learning. Directly comparable as a top-tier R1 university career services function with a similarly named role and similar scope (advising, fairs, mentoring, AI tools).
• University of Pennsylvania Career Services: Penn's central career services office providing one-on-one advising, career fairs, employer partnerships, and Handshake-based recruiting for a large Ivy League student body. Directly comparable in scale, programs, and employer recruiting model.
• MIT Career Advising & Professional Development: MIT's centralized career office providing advising, employer recruiting, internships, and AI-enhanced tools (e.g., Mock Interview AI) to a STEM-heavy student body. Comparable structure, technology adoption profile, and premium-employer recruiting focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RutgersCareers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/RutgersCareers
• Facebookfacebook.com/RutgersCareers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rutgerscareers
• Instagraminstagram.com/RutgersCareers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Career Exploration and Success at Rutgers University–New Brunswick