UNC Career Center is proud to announce that we have received a 2025 Handshake Career Spark Award! The Career Spark Awards recognize excellence among higher education institutions in three areas: student engagement, employer engagement, and reporting and analytics. Among the more than 1,500 schools using Handshake, UNC-Chapel Hill was in the top two percent of all institutions to receive an award this year.
“Receiving a Career Spark Award reinforces that our new, more modern approach to career readiness is resonating with students and employers,” said James Barricelli, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Career Development and Executive Director of the UNC Career Center. “In the last 18 months, our team has really leaned into Carolina’s commitment to innovation and created—mostly from scratch—hundreds of workshops, career fairs, employer recruiting opportunities, and alumni/employer networking events to meet the ever-changing career needs of our undergraduate and graduate students. We are helping more students than ever, and we take very much to heart our responsibility to help prepare students for life after Carolina.
“I also want to acknowledge the incredible work of our campus-wide network of career offices and campus partners, and of the career champions among our faculty and staff, who are showing up daily for our Tar Heels, to help them find their path,” continued Barricelli.
“University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is driven by innovation, collaboration, and genuine care—creating impactful student experiences and forging meaningful employer connections. I’m continually inspired by their commitment to empowering every Tar Heel’s journey,” said Laura Kalb, Handshake Relationship Manager.
Handshake is UNC-Chapel Hill’s digital jobs and events management platform. It is the largest early talent network in the US, connecting 75% of all U.S. college students through their school’s career center with one million employers actively recruiting on the platform.
Pictured: UNC Career Center team in front of historic Hanes Hall on the campus of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Our team has really leaned into Carolina’s commitment to innovation and created—mostly from scratch—hundreds of workshops, career fairs, employer recruiting opportunities, and alumni/employer networking events to meet the ever-changing career needs of our undergraduate and graduate students.
-James Barricelli
Assistant Vice Chancellor of Career Development
and
Executive Director of UNC Career Center
