Career Services Onboarding

The Operating System for Career Services

Welcome to Winning Network - your white-labeled career services platform. This comprehensive guide will help you get started, manage your program, and maximize student outcomes.

Quick Navigation

Your Winning Network Tier

Winning Network is a white-labeled career services platform powered by AI matching with 500+ APIs and 328 schemas. Choose the tier that fits your institution's needs.

Core

$8K-12K/year
  • Basic AI matching
  • Student dashboard
  • Alumni network access
  • Standard analytics
  • Email support

Honors

$16K-24K/year
  • Everything in Professional
  • Guest Lecturer program
  • Industry partnerships
  • Custom integrations
  • Dedicated account manager

Summit

$32K-48K/year
  • Everything in Honors
  • Full career services outsourcing
  • 1-on-1 expert counseling
  • White-glove implementation

Your Dashboard

Manage your entire career services program from a single, powerful dashboard. Switch between tabs to access different management functions.

User Management

Manage students, alumni, faculty, and staff across your institution. The platform supports role-based access control and bulk user operations.

Bulk Import

Import users via CSV, integrate with your SIS, or use API connections for automatic user provisioning.

Role Management

Assign roles: Student, Alumni, Faculty, Staff, Administrator with granular permissions.

Communication

Send targeted emails, announcements, and notifications to specific user groups.

Access Control

Enable/disable accounts, set expiration dates, and manage alumni access transitions.

Analytics & Reporting

Track program performance with comprehensive analytics and CASE-aligned reporting. Export data for accreditation and stakeholder presentations.

Dashboard Metrics

Real-time metrics on student engagement, mentor matches, and career outcomes.

Custom Reports

Build custom reports with drag-and-drop fields and scheduled delivery options.

CASE Alignment

Pre-built CASE standards reports for career services accreditation.

ROI Tracking

Measure student career confidence improvements and program effectiveness.

Expert Network Management

Curate and manage your expert network of alumni mentors, industry professionals, and career counselors.

Expert Discovery

AI-powered matching connects students with the most relevant experts based on career goals.

Session Booking

Manage expert availability, booking calendars, and session scheduling.

Quality Control

Review expert profiles, verify credentials, and monitor session ratings.

Compensation

Track volunteer hours or manage paid expert compensation (Summit tier).

Content Management

Customize your platform with branded content, resources, and career development materials.

Branding

Apply your institution's colors, logos, and messaging throughout the platform.

Resource Library

Upload and organize career guides, templates, and learning materials.

News & Updates

Publish career news, event announcements, and success stories.

Job Board

Post opportunities, manage employer relationships, and track applications.

Getting Started Checklist

Follow this step-by-step checklist to launch your Winning Network platform successfully. Track your progress as you complete each task.

Your Progress 0% Complete

Initial Setup

User Onboarding

Integration Configuration

Launch Preparation

Managing Your Program

Learn best practices for managing every aspect of your career services program. Click each section to expand and learn more.

Onboarding Students

Successfully onboarding students is critical to platform adoption. Follow these best practices:

  • Orientation Sessions: Host live or recorded orientation sessions to introduce students to the platform
  • Profile Completion: Encourage students to complete their profiles for better AI matching
  • Goal Setting: Guide students through setting career goals and preferences
  • First Match: Ensure every student receives at least one mentor match within the first week
  • Follow-up: Send reminder emails to students who haven't logged in after one week

Recruiting Alumni Mentors

Build a strong alumni mentor network with these strategies:

  • Alumni Outreach: Use existing alumni networks, events, and communications to recruit mentors
  • Clear Value Proposition: Highlight benefits: networking, giving back, staying connected
  • Easy Onboarding: Make mentor registration quick and straightforward
  • Time Commitment: Be transparent about expected time commitment (typically 1-2 hours/month)
  • Recognition: Recognize top mentors through awards, features, and events
  • Training: Provide mentor training resources and guidelines

Coordinating with Faculty

Faculty coordination enhances student engagement and program success:

  • Faculty Champions: Identify and recruit faculty advocates in each department
  • Curriculum Integration: Work with faculty to integrate career services into coursework
  • Classroom Presentations: Schedule platform demonstrations during class time
  • Assignment Integration: Consider requiring platform activities as course assignments
  • Regular Updates: Keep faculty informed about student engagement and outcomes
  • Feedback Loop: Gather faculty input to improve program offerings

Running Reports

Generate meaningful reports for stakeholders and accreditation:

  • Engagement Reports: Track logins, profile completions, and session bookings
  • Matching Reports: Analyze mentor-mentee match quality and satisfaction
  • Outcome Reports: Measure career confidence improvements and job placements
  • CASE Reports: Generate CASE-aligned reports for accreditation
  • Custom Reports: Build reports tailored to specific stakeholder needs
  • Scheduled Reports: Set up automated report delivery to key stakeholders

Measuring Outcomes

Demonstrate ROI with measurable outcomes:

  • Career Confidence: Pre and post-surveys measuring student career confidence
  • Session Metrics: Track number of mentoring sessions, duration, and ratings
  • Placement Rates: Monitor internship and job placement outcomes
  • Student Satisfaction: Regular surveys on platform experience and value
  • Alumni Engagement: Measure alumni participation and satisfaction
  • Year-over-Year: Compare outcomes across academic years to show improvement

Integrations & Data Setup

Winning Network connects to your existing SIS, CRM, and LMS so you can launch without ripping and replacing. Expand each integration to see what it enables and how to connect it.

Student Information System (SIS)

Sync student and program data automatically so rosters stay current without manual uploads. Supported systems include Banner, Workday Student, PeopleSoft, and Colleague.

  • What it enables: Auto-provisioned student accounts, program/major data for better AI matching, and graduation status updates
  • How to connect: From the dashboard, go to Settings → Integrations → SIS and select your provider, then authorize the secure data connection
  • Sync options: Choose nightly batch sync or real-time API sync (Honors tier and above)
  • Need help? Your account manager can coordinate a connection session with your IT team

CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot)

Connect your advancement or admissions CRM to keep alumni and employer relationships in sync.

  • What it enables: Alumni mentor recruitment from existing CRM contacts, engagement data flowing back to your CRM, and unified reporting
  • How to connect: Go to Settings → Integrations → CRM, select Salesforce or HubSpot, and complete the OAuth authorization
  • Field mapping: Map CRM contact fields to platform profile fields during setup

Learning Management System (LMS)

Embed career activities directly into Canvas, Blackboard, or Moodle so students engage where they already are.

  • What it enables: LTI-based single-click access from courses, assignment integration, and grade passback for career activities
  • How to connect: Go to Settings → Integrations → LMS and follow the LTI 1.3 setup wizard, or share the provided LTI key with your LMS administrator
  • Faculty tip: Pair with the "Coordinating with Faculty" guidance to drive classroom adoption

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Let students, alumni, and staff sign in with your institution's existing credentials — no separate passwords to manage.

  • Supported protocols: SAML 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC), compatible with Okta, Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD), Google Workspace, and Shibboleth
  • How to connect: Go to Settings → Integrations → SSO, exchange metadata with your identity provider, and test with a pilot account before going live
  • Provisioning: Optional SCIM provisioning keeps accounts in sync as people join or leave your institution

Manual Import & API

Not ready to integrate? You can still launch quickly with simple imports, then automate later.

  • CSV import: Upload student and alumni lists from Settings → Users → Import using the provided template
  • Open API: Build custom workflows with the platform's REST API (500+ endpoints) — request API keys from your account manager
  • Start small: Launch with a CSV import for a pilot cohort, then add SIS sync once you've validated the rollout

Security & Compliance

Winning Network is built for institutions, not consumers. Here's how we protect your students' data and help you meet your compliance obligations.

FERPA & Student Data Privacy

We treat student records as protected education records and support your FERPA obligations.

  • Data ownership: Your institution owns its data; we act as a service provider under your direction
  • Directory information: Configure which fields are visible to mentors and peers from Settings → Privacy
  • Consent: Student consent is captured during onboarding before any profile data is shared
  • Data Processing Agreement: A signed DPA is available from your account manager as part of onboarding

Encryption & Infrastructure

Your data is protected in transit and at rest using industry-standard controls.

  • In transit: All traffic is encrypted with TLS 1.2+
  • At rest: Databases and file storage are encrypted with AES-256
  • Backups: Automated, encrypted backups with point-in-time recovery
  • Isolation: White-label tenants are logically isolated so your data is never commingled

Roles & Access Control

Give each team member exactly the access they need — and nothing more.

  • Built-in roles: Super Admin, Administrator, Advisor, and read-only Reporting roles
  • Least privilege: Assign roles from Settings → Users → Roles following the principle of least privilege
  • Audit log: Review administrative actions and data access from the audit log (Honors tier and above)
  • MFA: Enforce multi-factor authentication for staff accounts, or rely on your SSO provider's MFA

Data Retention & Requests

Stay in control of how long data is kept and how to honor individual requests.

  • Retention policy: Configure retention windows for inactive accounts from Settings → Privacy → Retention
  • Access & deletion: Fulfill student data access or deletion requests directly from the user's profile
  • Offboarding: On contract end, request a full data export and certified deletion from your account manager

Service Tiers & Add-Ons

Explore detailed features and pricing for each Winning Network tier. Persona-based pricing available for different institution types.

Core Features

Essential career services platform for smaller institutions or those just getting started.

  • AI-powered student-alumni matching
  • Basic analytics dashboard
  • Email-based communication
  • Standard reporting
  • Email support (48hr response)
  • Up to 5,000 active users

$8,000 - $12,000/year

Professional Upgrades

Enhanced features for institutions ready to scale their career services program.

  • Everything in Core, plus:
  • Advanced AI matching algorithms
  • Full white-label customization
  • Advanced reporting & exports
  • Priority support (24hr response)
  • Up to 15,000 active users

$12,000 - $18,000/year

Honors Program

Premium tier with Guest Lecturer program and expanded capabilities.

  • Everything in Professional, plus:
  • Guest Lecturer program access
  • Industry partnership network
  • Custom API integrations
  • CASE-aligned reporting suite
  • Dedicated account manager
  • Unlimited active users

$16,000 - $24,000/year

Summit Program

Complete career services outsourcing with expert counseling and white-glove support.

  • Everything in Honors, plus:
  • Full career services outsourcing
  • 1-on-1 expert counseling sessions
  • White-glove implementation
  • Quarterly business reviews
  • Custom development options

$32,000 - $48,000/year

Advisory Services Pricing

Implementation Consulting

$2,500 - $5,000 one-time fee for custom implementation support and training.

Strategic Planning

$1,500/quarter for ongoing strategic guidance and program optimization.

Custom Development

$150/hour for custom feature development and integrations.

Training Packages

$500/session for on-site or virtual training for staff and faculty.

Outsourced Career Services

For Summit tier clients, Winning.Careers provides comprehensive career services outsourcing. Learn how our expert counselors support your students.

1-on-1 Sessions

Students book personalized career counseling sessions with certified career experts. Sessions cover resume review, interview prep, career planning, and job search strategy.

Booking Expert Counselors

Students can view counselor availability, read profiles, and book sessions directly through the platform. Calendar sync ensures no conflicts.

Session Management

Administrators can view all scheduled sessions, counselor workloads, and student outcomes. Automated reminders reduce no-shows.

Student Outcomes Tracking

Comprehensive tracking of student progress, session effectiveness, and career outcomes. Generate reports for accreditation and stakeholder presentations.

How Summit Works

1
Student Request

Student submits career counseling request with goals and preferences

2
AI Matching

Platform matches student with best-fit expert counselor

3
Session Booking

Student books session at convenient time

4
Outcome Tracking

Session notes and outcomes recorded for reporting

Marketing & Communication Templates

Pre-built templates to help you promote your Winning Network platform and engage users effectively.

Launch Announcement Email

Announce your platform launch to students, faculty, and alumni with this customizable template.

Email

Social Media Kit

Graphics and copy for LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to promote your platform.

Social Media

Orientation Presentation

Ready-to-use PowerPoint presentation for student orientation sessions.

Presentation

Faculty Introduction Letter

Template letter to introduce the platform to faculty and request their support.

Letter

Alumni Mentor Recruitment

Email template to recruit alumni mentors with compelling value proposition.

Email

Press Release Template

Announce your platform partnership with Winning.Careers to local media.

Press Release

Campus Poster/Flyer

Print-ready poster design to promote the platform on campus.

Print

Customer Service & Support

Your success is our priority. Access comprehensive support resources and connect with our dedicated team.

Dedicated Account Manager

Professional and Honors tier clients receive a dedicated account manager who understands your institution's unique needs and goals.

Meet Your Manager

Priority Support Channels

Access support via email, live chat, and our helpdesk portal. Response times based on your tier level.

Contact Support

Implementation Support

Our implementation team guides you through setup, integration, and launch. White-glove service for Summit clients.

View Implementation Guide

Training Resources

Access documentation, webinars, and live training sessions for administrators and users.

Access Training Hub

Knowledge Base

Comprehensive articles, FAQs, and how-to guides covering every aspect of the platform.

Browse Knowledge Base

Community Forum

Connect with other Winning Network administrators to share best practices and get advice.

Join Community

FAQ for Administrators

How long does implementation typically take?

Standard implementation takes 4-6 weeks from contract signing to launch. This includes platform configuration, branding, user import, integration setup, and testing. Summit tier clients receive expedited white-glove implementation.

What integrations are supported?

We support integrations with major SIS platforms (Banner, PeopleSoft, Workday), LMS systems (Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle), CRM platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot), and SSO providers (SAML, OAuth, Azure AD). Custom integrations available for Honors and Summit tiers.

How is student data protected?

We maintain FERPA compliance, SOC 2 Type II certification, and use enterprise-grade encryption. Data is stored in secure, redundant data centers. Regular security audits and penetration testing ensure ongoing protection.

Can we customize the platform branding?

Yes! Professional, Honors, and Summit tiers include full white-label customization. Apply your institution's colors, logos, fonts, and messaging. The platform appears as your own branded career services solution.

What are the escalation procedures for critical issues?

Critical issues (platform downtime, data issues) are escalated immediately to our engineering team with 1-hour response SLA. Your account manager is notified and provides updates every 2 hours until resolution. Summit clients have direct access to senior engineering.

How do we upgrade our tier?

Contact your account manager or our sales team to discuss upgrading. Tier upgrades can be processed mid-contract with prorated pricing. New features are typically activated within 48 hours of upgrade confirmation.

Need Additional Help?

Our support team is available to assist you with any questions or concerns.

Email Support