Teach It Back Project
Luke: No internship. No problem.
Student Profile
Luke · Marshall University · Computer Science
“I was crushed when I couldn't find an internship and had to scramble to find experience. I was connected to workforce development leaders piloting a resume optimization tool that I could turn into a leadership opportunity, used that project to earn a HarvardX leadership credential for my LinkedIn, and used class projects to help cover gaps in my resume.
The Challenge
Luke's internship search came up empty late in the year, leaving a gap he needed to fill fast.
The Project
He built a Teach It Back project around a free resume optimization tool, trained students to use it, and earned a leadership credential along the way.
Skills Demonstrated
- Facilitation
- Training
- Partnership Building
- Leadership
- Professional Credibility
- Critical Thinking
Frameworks Applied
The thinking behind the work — the part employers and community partners recognize right away.
Jobs-to-be-Done
He started from the job he and his classmates kept failing at — customizing a resume for every application — and built the training around that job instead of around a tool that looked good.
Shared Value
He lined the project up with the Open Skills Network's national push on skills-based hiring, so students got help and the partners got progress on something they already cared about.
Applied jobs-to-be-done to rebuild resume-tailoring training around the task students kept failing; trained 120 students and earned a HarvardX leadership credential.
Name the lens, the move, and the number. Only list what you can back up in an interview.
Experience Translated Into Proof
- Generated leadership evidence and proof of professional skills by mentoring peers and helping them grow professionally.
- Supported the Open Skills Network's national push to advance skills-based education and hiring.
- Ran training sessions on a free resume tool that helped job seekers improve their applications.
- Secured career fair booth sponsors by building partnerships with campus and local business leaders.
- Trained 120 students (20% above goal) on using Lightcast resume tools to highlight classroom skills.
- Used critical thinking to reframe the training around the real job students were failing at, not the tool itself.
- Organized peer study sessions for computer science freshmen to improve exam scores.
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Visibility Created
- A HarvardX leadership credential on his LinkedIn profile — earned through the project, not issued by GradPlanHQ.
- Resume accomplishments with numbers instead of job titles.
- Interview stories about training, sponsorship, and partnerships.
Opportunities Created
- Relationships with workforce development and local business leaders.
- A visible role in a national skills-based hiring effort.
- Experience that replaced the internship he didn't get.
Student Advice
“If the internship doesn't happen, build the experience yourself. Nobody in an interview asks whether it was assigned to you.”
Related Project Launcher
Teach It Back is the framework Luke used to turn everyday access into experience worth showing.
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