At Wesleyan, we know that a liberal arts education prepares you to think critically and adapt across disciplines. Forage’s free virtual work experiences provide an opportunity to take those skills further by exploring real-world roles in a variety of industries, from consulting and finance to tech, law, and more.

What is Forage?

Forage offers free virtual work experiences that let you “try on” various roles and industries, working through real-world tasks designed by top employers like Accenture, JPMorgan Chase, and Lululemon. These self-paced, hands-on experiences are a great way to discover potential career paths, enhance your resume, and build confidence as you prepare for internships or your first job. Each program simulates real work scenarios, helping you gain firsthand insights into specific roles and industries while building the skills employers look for in candidates. Programs typically take 5-8 hours to complete, and you can choose which experiences align with your career interests.

Why Forage?

• Discover New Career Paths: Explore a wide variety of roles and industries at your own pace.
• Gain Practical Skills: Each program is designed to teach you the specific skills and knowledge required for success in a particular field.
• Boost Your Resume: Add certificates of completion to your resume and LinkedIn and Handshake profiles, showing employers your initiative and readiness to take on real-world tasks.
• Stand Out to Employers: Companies offering Forage experiences are more likely to notice and interview candidates who have completed their programs.

How It Works

1. Choose a Program: Choose from various virtual work experiences based on industry, company, or role. These experiences are open to all students and are free—no application, prior experience, or commitment is required.
2. Complete Real-World Tasks: Work through simulated assignments based on actual tasks completed by professionals in the field.
3. Earn a Certificate: Upon completion, receive a certificate to add to your resume and LinkedIn profile, demonstrating your initiative and relevant skills.

How to Showcase Your Forage Experience

On Your Resume

• Add Forage experiences under a section like “Professional Development” or “Experiential Learning”:
  • [Company Name] Virtual Experience Program Participant  – Date
    • Completed hands-on tasks in [specific skills developed], including [list of tasks], gaining insights into the field of [industry].

In Interviews

• Use your Forage experience to illustrate your problem-solving abilities, your initiative, and how you’ve applied academic learning to real-world scenarios. Discuss the specific tasks you completed and how they align with the role you’re applying for.

On LinkedIn/Handshake

• Add your Forage certificate to the “Licenses & Certifications” section:
  • Virtual Experience Program Participant
    [Employer] [Forage Certificate Link]
  • Share this as a post to show your network the skills you’ve developed.

Get Started

Forage experiences are free and open to all Wesleyan students. Sign up with your Wesleyan email, explore different career paths, and start building valuable, real-world skills today!