Crack the Career Code With Forage Job Simulations

Maybe you heard about Forage from your college career center or you found us on a company’s career page. However you got here, we’re glad you came. Whether you’re just looking around or you’ve completed a job simulation, you’re probably wondering how to use what you learn in a virtual job simulation to get ahead in your career.

There are lots of ways to leverage Forage virtual job simulations — 10, actually! From discovering where your passions lie to acing the interview, here are all the ways Forage can help your career.

Does Forage Actually Help Your Job Search?

The success of your job search depends on a lot of factors. Some of them aren’t in your control (like how many other candidates apply) but some of them are, like how you write your resume and cover letter or answer interview questions.

When you complete a Forage job simulation, you’ll have something to add to your resume and talk about during the interview, like the new skills you mastered. But does Forage actually help you land a job?

We can’t promise that completing a Forage job simulation guarantees you’ll get the job. But we can say that students who complete a job simulation are three to four times more likely to be hired by one of our partner companies.

Listen to what one of founders says about it:

10 Ways Forage Can Help You Find Career Success

Completing a job simulation is only the start, though. To get the most out of your experience, you need to use it to your advantage. Here are 10 ways to leverage Forage for career success.

1. Learn More About a Job

Maybe you’ve wondered about a career as an investment banker or thought working as a machine learning engineer would be cool. And that’s the extent of your career plans.

That’s totally fine! Not everyone knows what career they want to pursue when they graduate. Completing a job simulation on Forage allows you to experience what it’s like working in these fields (and others) by completing a project similar to the tasks you’ll perform in the role.

You’ll learn about the tools you might use and what kinds of things you’d work on, and you’ll get a feel for what it’s like to be in that role. Then you can decide if it’s the right career for you or try out another one until you find the perfect fit.

2. Learn What It’s Like to Work at a Company

In addition to experiencing what it’s like to work in a particular role, you’ll also learn what it’s like to work for a particular company.

The job simulations on Forage are sponsored by top companies from around the world, and we work with them to create the tasks in every simulation. You’ll gain hands-on experience using some of the tools these companies use every day (like Excel or Power BI) while following the company’s processes and procedures. This can give you an idea of what it’s like to be an employee of X, Y, or Z company.

3. Build Practical Skills Companies Want

One thing we hear from students is that many entry-level roles are looking for some experience, but how are you supposed to get  experience if it’s your first job? At the same time, we hear that job candidates don’t have the skills companies need.

And that’s where Forage comes in. Our job simulations bridge the gap between where you are and what you need through upskilling and building the practical, real-world skills companies are looking for — giving you an edge in the hiring process.

4. Put These Skills on Your Resume

What you learn in the classroom supports your career goals. But, highlighting the steps you’ve taken outside the classroom to learn more about your industry demonstrates you’re a motivated student who’s willing to go above and beyond. Including the job simulation (or simulations!) on your resume shows the recruiter just that!

When you complete a job simulation, you’ll get a resume snippet that summarizes your accomplishments. Customize that snippet and add it to your resume under extracurricular activities, certifications, or achievements. Now you’ve got a section that shows you’ve got the skills to get the job done.

Please note that you should not put Forage under the internship or job experience section on your resume. For more information, please see our referencing policy.

5. Add the Certificate to Your LinkedIn Profile

Sharing your achievement on LinkedIn shows you’re dedicated to lifelong learning and could help you grab recruiters’ or hiring managers‘ attention.

While you could add the certificate to LinkedIn and call it a day, consider sharing that information as part of a post. Explain what you learned during the job simulation and tag the company so they know you’re talking about them (in a good way!). 

While you’re at it, tag Forage. We love to hear about Foragers’ successes and we try to like (and sometimes share) as many posts as possible.

Here’s how to add your Forage job simulation completion certificate to your profile page:

6. Share Your Success on Social Media

While LinkedIn is a great place to share your completion certificate, consider sharing it on other social media accounts as well. Companies are also on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

And sometimes, we like to share what others are sharing about us on social media.

@theforage

Moises Herrera shares his experience using Forage! Link in bio to sign up for free today #fyp #interns #gettinghired #collegestudents #firstgenstudent #corporategenz #careeradvice

♬ original sound – Forage

7. Discover Who’s Hiring

While there are tons of reliable job boards out there, another great way to leverage Forage for career success is to see what our partner companies are up to throughout the year.

Whenever a company has started hiring for internships or entry-level job opportunities, we’ll include that information on the job simulation. Sure, that’s like other job boards. But what most job boards don’t have is information about networking opportunities specifically geared toward college students!

That’s right! A lot of our partner companies have networking or meet-and-greet events designed for students to connect with recruiters and learn more about the company.

8. Show You’re Motivated and Interested

Completing a job simulation demonstrates your interest in pursuing a specific career path. It also shows you want to pursue this career at a specific company.

When the hiring manager asks, “Why are you applying for this position?” most applicants will say they want to work at X or Y company. But you’ve gone the extra mile by proving you want to work there. And, there’s a bonus! You’ll already have an idea of what it’s like to work there, putting you ahead of the other applicants.

9. Talk Up Your New Skills During the Interview

Talking about the skills you’ve developed shows you’re interested in and committed to the career path. And it helps the hiring manager understand that you’ve got the skills and experience to be successful in the role. 

Of course, this doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but we’ve got you covered. When you finish a job simulation, you’ll also get a few talking points to help you explain what you mastered during the job simulation and how that will help you in the role.

>>MORE: Read How to Use the STAR Method for Interview Questions

10. Learn More About Yourself

And finally, the best way to leverage Forage for career success is by learning more about yourself.

In the first tip, we mentioned that when you aren’t sure what you want to do, a Forage job simulation allows you to test-drive a job and see if it’s right for you. You may love the job simulation you complete or find it’s not the right career for you. And you might attempt or complete several job simulations and discover that none of them are!

And that’s OK.

Our job simulations are low-risk ways to learn more about your career ambitions. When you register for a Forage job simulation outside of class, it’s totally free and has no time limits. So if it turns out a specific job isn’t what you thought it was, you haven’t lost anything but you have enhanced your knowledge. And, more importantly, you’ve learned what you don’t want to pursue, which is just as important as knowing what you do want to do.

Take the Next Step

And there you have it! These are all the ways you can leverage a Forage virtual job simulation to learn more about jobs and companies, what it’s like to work in a specific job, and find career success!

Register for a virtual job simulation and connect with a career you love!

Frequently Asked Questions About Forage

Ivy Cheung, Student Success Intern, contributed to this piece

Image credit: EdZbarzhyvetsky/ Depositphotos.com