In the fall of my freshman year, I received an email about a program called The Global Career Accelerator. I originally didn’t think much of it, but something in the email caught my eye: “work with real companies.”
As a health and society major who is pre-med, I figured that wouldn’t really apply to me, but I remembered that being competitive in the professional field is all about standing out from others. I decided to inquire further about the program and spoke with a representative who answered my questions and helped me choose a program pathway that would be best for me.
The Global Career Accelerator is a program that partners with universities across the U.S. and is structured like an internship. An interesting catch is that instead of working with just one company, you get to work with multiple companies, all while learning actual, applicable job skills and earning real certifications. You even get to gain credit hours that can count towards your degree!
I did the career rotation program, but there are many available, such as digital marketing, coding for development, web development for everyone, and more.
In the career rotation program, I met up with my class once a week on Zoom. We learned different skills each week, such as building websites, optimizing SEO, designing games, creating data visualizations, working with data in Excel, and more. On these projects, I worked with companies like Charity: Water, Intel, The Grammys, L’Oréal, and more big names.
One of the best parts of the program for me was the diversity and kindness among my classmates. At the end of each class, we would be separated into groups to work on mini-group projects, setting us up to complete that week’s project on our own. I found it so fun to talk to other college students from all over the country. I heard about the different experiences we’ve all gone through and even found out some things that we had in common. It was super cool to see how other people were doing the same work but with a different approach, which helped me pick up a thing or two. I really got to see how the saying “two heads are better than one” really comes to life!
Among getting to meet people I would never have interacted with, I also learned plenty of soft skills, such as working in diverse settings, effective communication, and practical tips for getting a job or networking. These resources, which are also built into the curriculum, were available tenfold in the form of workshops and dedicated departments!
I tried my best to make the most of all these resources. Some of the resources included firsthand opportunities to compete to showcase your skills to big companies like Wells Fargo, Crocs, L’Oréal, and others. You can win internships, broader networking opportunities, and valuable experience that sets you apart in a new league. To go along with that, there are weekly workshops on improving your LinkedIn, resume, or networking skills, taught by actual educators who were former job recruiters and people who were once in our shoes.
I’m so honored to be stepping away from this program with skills that set me apart from others, have opened my eyes to the many jobs out there, and have taught me how to go and get what I want. My resume is full of projects I’ve worked on and new certifications, and my LinkedIn is glowing with new connections and a way to make me stand out amongst others when I go and chase opportunities.
This program has given me insight I don’t think I would’ve gained elsewhere, all while helping me build my personal brand. So, I want to end this all with a huge shoutout to The Global Career Accelerator!
This blog was contributed by Isabella Quintanilla Gaytan, a freshman studying health and society, who is serving as an ambassador for The Global Career Accelerator Spring 2026.
