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Whether you’ve looked for an externship, internship, or have already started your career search, you’ve doubtlessly encountered Carleton’s infamous career website, the Tunnel. Devoid of any aesthetic appeal, the website brims with entries, menu options, and links, leaving some of us doubting the relevance of our Career Center’s resources.
Run by the college, the Tunnel is the largest database of Carleton-specific positions. While that may sound appealing, the website itself is a labyrinth of strange and unfamiliar menus and links. Many seniors can relate to the fact that the Tunnel’s complicated nature does not ease the already painful process of finding a post-graduate career. The confusing layout leaves many struggling to refine the daunting number of entries into a searchable list of potential positions.
“The interface of the Tunnel is a bit clunky — it can be hard to find what you’re looking for and navigating back and forth between pages isn’t always straightforward,” said Berit Goodge ’16, a senior Physics major.
Many Carls, especially those who are not so technologically inclined, share this sentiment. The Tunnel has such an abstruse design that it actually discourages some from even using it.
“I haven’t done much job searching on the Tunnel because it sometimes seems like a huge pile of things I’m not interested in,” said Berit. “ Usually if hear of something that I’m interested in through a friend, I’ll find it on the Tunnel and then just copy the name of the post so I can go back later. But I’ve never actually used it to browse for potential jobs.”
Voices of dissatisfied students have not gone unheard by the Career Center. With all of Carleton’s December externships listed on the site, students from every year have encountered the technical interface. Although the design may not change anytime soon, Kabir Sarjan, a Student Career Assistant, argues that students need to take a step back and acknowledge the incredible value of this resource.
“The Tunnel was created to show jobs specifically offered to Carls,” Kabir said. “Many alumni and companies seeking Carleton graduates offer these positions, and it is a program unique to this college.”
One of the most common complaints about the Tunnel is its difficulty of use, but Kabir responded to this by emphasizing the Career Center’s resources.
“Students complain about the fact that it is not very well integrated, but that’s where the Career Center comes in,” said Kabir. “We are trained and paid to help students with their career searches.”
Available both during the day and at night, students working in the Career Center are more than willing to help those that struggle with the Tunnel. Kamir went on to mention that using the resource with a Student Career Associate might greatly alleviate students’ stress and concerns surrounding the Tunnel.
Despite its seemingly illogical layout and overwhelming number of entries, the Tunnel continues to be one of Carleton’s most valuable career databases. The website may seem formidable, but it provides students with unique and targeted jobs that cannot be found anywhere else. It will doubtlessly continue to frustrate Carls and complicate the already difficult prospect of finding a job, but like Schiller, it is one of Carleton’s hidden gems.