The Fordham Career Center hosts ten industry-specific career fairs annually, each requiring a comprehensive event guide containing employer data and resources. Historically, these guides were static PDF assets created in Canva. This legacy workflow was resource-intensive, created bottlenecks due to skill gaps, and resulted in version control issues when last-minute changes occurred.
Problem
- Guides took upwards of six hours to complete and could only be worked on by limited trained staff members
- Last-minute edits were difficult to make, and there was not much control in replacing the edited versions
- Guides were published too close to the fair date
- PDF publication format was not fully mobile-friendly, and most students accessed the guides from their phones
- Students could not filter, sort, or personalize the information
Process
- Evaluated several digital platforms with publishable webpage features to find a mobile-first solution
- Selected Notion due to existing team proficiency from previous resources. The platform allowed for bulk-uploading employer data with minimal formatting, while seamlessly integrating visual assets like maps and ads
- Created a master template applicable to all fair setups, utilizing multiple database views for the primary employer dashboard
- Published pages as “view-only” but enabled the “Duplicate” feature, allowing students to save a copy to their own workspace for customization
Outcomes
- Reduced time to complete the guide by 60%
- Last-minute edits can be made by any staff member, not just the small number comfortable with Canva and graphic design
- Students can customize their guide experience with their own copy of the dashboard, with space for notes following conversations, and prioritize the employer list
- Increased qualitative satisfaction from students about preparation resources, and employers about student preparedness and research
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