Shawnee State University
How Shawnee State Is Scaling Career Services for 3,000 Students With a Small Team
With a small team supporting 3,000+ students, Shawnee piloted Hiration to offload foundational resume and interview work, saving 40+ hours, increasing appointments, and freeing staff to focus on high-impact coaching.
3×
Efficiency Gain
40+
Hours Saved
24/7
Student Access
+6%
Appointment Growth
All achieved in a pilot rollout, before full campus expansion.
Institution Type
Public University
Location
Southern Ohio
Student Population
3,000+ Students
Programs Offered
100+ Associate, Bachelor's, Master's & Doctorate
Shawnee State University, a student-focused public university in southern Ohio, serves over 3,000 students across 100+ programs. When their small career services team needed to scale support without compromising quality, they turned to Hiration's AI-powered platform to transform how they deliver career readiness services.
The Challenge: Scaling Personalized Support
Dr. Austin Raines, Associate Director of Career Services, and his team faced a common challenge in higher education: how to provide quality career support to a growing student population with limited resources. Students arrived with varying levels of preparation—some with outdated high school resumes, others starting from scratch—all requiring foundational support that consumed valuable advising time.
Key Challenges Identified:
"These resumes often require foundational support, and with limited appointment times, it can be difficult to move beyond basic formatting and structure during an initial meeting," explains Dr. Raines. The team needed a solution that would empower students to take ownership of their career development while freeing advisors to focus on strategic, personalized guidance.
"I'm most proud of simply getting Hiration implemented and having the opportunity to leverage this type of innovative technology at Shawnee State University. It's not about replacing the human element; we still value and provide one-on-one support. However, Hiration complements our services in a way that helps us maximize our time and capacity with limited staff."
Dr. Austin Raines
Associate Director of Career Services
Shawnee State University
The Solution: AI-Powered Tools That Complement Human Expertise
After discovering Hiration at the 2023 NACE Conference, Dr. Raines was impressed by the platform's comprehensive features and the team's responsiveness. "What stood out to me about Hiration was not only the robust set of tools they offered, but also their transparency and willingness to listen to feedback and adjust accordingly."
AI Resume Builder
Scoring system evaluates structure, skills alignment, and ATS optimization with actionable feedback
Interview Preparation
AI-generated questions with feedback on verbal responses, body language, and filler words
LinkedIn Optimizer
Scores profiles across key components with detailed guidance for professional branding
Analytics Dashboard
Track student engagement and progress with data-driven insights for continuous improvement
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The Implementation: Strategic Rollout Across Campus
Shawnee State took a thoughtful approach to implementing Hiration, starting with Dr. Raines' Major Exploration and Career Planning course as a pilot program. This allowed them to test the platform with a controlled group before expanding campus-wide.
Implementation Timeline
Initial Launch
Introduced through semester newsletter with custom graphics highlighting platform benefits
Course Integration
Piloted in Major Exploration and Career Planning course for controlled testing
One-on-One Sessions
Encouraged students to use Hiration before appointments for more productive advising
Program Expansion
Gradually introduced to program-specific workshops based on faculty and student enthusiasm
The Results: Measurable Impact on Efficiency and Engagement
While Shawnee State continues to expand adoption across campus, the initial results demonstrate significant improvements in both efficiency and student engagement:
📊 Pilot Rollout Metrics (Spring 2025)
Preliminary results before full campus expansion
| Service Type | Spring 2025 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resumes Created | 127 | Foundational drafts created by students using AI |
| Cover Letters | 67 | Customized for program-specific roles |
| Mock Interviews | 30 | Delivered asynchronously during lab sessions |
| LinkedIn Reviews | 8 | Focused on students nearing graduation |
40+ hours of preparation time saved through automated mock interviews alone
6%
Appointment Increase
Growth in overall career services appointments
24/7
Accessibility
Students can prepare outside business hours
100%
Feature Utilization
All key Hiration features actively used
3x
Efficiency Gain
More students served with same staff
Success Spotlight: Transforming Mock Interview Delivery
One of Dr. Raines' proudest achievements was revolutionizing how mock interviews are conducted in his career planning course:
"Last year, we held a lab session where students were each in their own space, wearing headphones and completing their mock interviews simultaneously through Hiration. Previously, these interviews would've been conducted one-on-one, which required significant time and scheduling. This approach allowed us to offer a similar experience in a fraction of the time."
Looking Forward: Continuous Innovation
Shawnee State's partnership with Hiration exemplifies their commitment to continuous improvement and innovation. Dr. Raines' presentation at the statewide "Tomorrow's Path: Career Services for the Future" conference showcased their implementation as a model for other Ohio institutions.
Alignment with University Mission
Hiration supports Shawnee State's core mission to "prepare today's students to succeed in tomorrow's world" by:
- Providing 24/7 access to career development tools
- Meeting students where they are with flexible, self-paced learning
- Demonstrating thoughtful risk-taking with innovative technology
- Maintaining quality while expanding reach and accessibility
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Why Universities Choose Hiration
Dr. Raines' Recommendation
"Our experience with Hiration has helped us expand student support and streamline certain aspects of career readiness. It's not a replacement for the human element of career services; rather, it complements our work by helping to maximize time and impact. The platform empowers students to take a more active role in their career development while enabling staff to focus on personalized support, outreach, and strategic initiatives."
- Dr. Austin Raines, Associate Director of Career Services
Conclusion: A Model for Modern Career Services
Shawnee State University's implementation of Hiration demonstrates how thoughtful technology adoption can transform career services delivery. By maintaining the human touch while leveraging AI-powered tools, they've created a scalable model that enhances both student outcomes and staff efficiency. As they continue to expand usage across campus, their success serves as an inspiration for institutions seeking to modernize career support in an increasingly digital world.