A student program using Lego designs to create awareness of WPI's Career Development Center (CDC) won an award from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). The CDC's "Building Blocks to Your Future: Lego Contest" received NACE's Innovation Excellence Award for Marketing and Branding for small colleges.
During the CDC's contest, WPI students were encouraged use Legos to build creations related to their future careers, and students were able to name or title their own design entry. Photographs were taken of the 29 entries and then posted anonymously on the CDC Facebook page. Students then voted on their favorite design by "liking" the photo. At the end of the contest, the photo with the most "likes" won an iTunes Gift Card. Some 479 students voted and the CDC garnered 379 new Facebook fans.
"The program's purpose was to create more awareness of our office, and to increase the number of our Facebook fans," said Maggie Becker, associate director of WPI's Career Development Center. "This was the first time WPI entered this contest and we won this national award. Receiving this recognition from such a well-respected professional association is a great thrill."
WPI's CDC assists undergraduate and graduate students and alumni in skills related to careers and the job search process. The CDC web pages contain valuable information on resume and cover letter writing, and graduate/professional school and job search strategies. Its Career Guide also has helpful career-related articles, and additional information and tips can be found on its student and staff blogs.
"We are proud to have created such a fun and engaging contest, and to have generated so many new Facebook fans was richly rewarding," said David Ortendahl, associate director of the CDC. "We know how impressive our students are as job candidates, and this competition allowed us to see that their LEGO building skills were also outstanding."
