Professional Digital Foundations (PDF)
Career Development
The Professional Digital Foundations curriculum prepares justice-impacted students to confidently navigate the hiring process in an increasingly digital world. This seven-session series covers essential technology skills needed to find a job and enter the workforce, while accounting for realistic device access limitations. Lessons include smartphone-specific communication and document management, as well as multi-platform approaches to email management, smart job searches, crafting resumes and cover letters, and participating in online interviews.
Sessions 1 and 2 are conducted on smartphones. Sessions 3 through 7 transition to laptops, with smartphone notes provided throughout. Each session runs 75–90 minutes and builds on the last, culminating in a final capstone project.
Professional Digital Foundations classes are held wherever Career Development Workshop sessions occur. These are primarily at the Fortune Society's Long Island City office, with occasional sessions at the Bronx SRP location and the Harlem Castle Gardens location.
Students who complete the full final capstone are eligible to receive a Professional Digital Foundations completion certificate from the Digital Equity Team.
All sessions require active enrollment in Fortune's Career Development Workshop.
Smartphone-based communication skills, with particular focus on voicemail & email setup
Digital Communication
Capstone 1:
Set up an email signature & email the instructor
Smartphone-based document management, including downloads, uploads, storage, & scanning
Digital Documents & Downloads
Capstone 2:
Upload a smartphone-scanned document
Laptop-based email navigation, organization, & composition, using Gmail, with smartphone notes
Navigating Email Essentials
Cornerstone 1:
Create a draft email addressed to the instructor
Online job search strategies for navigating job boards, job descriptions, employer research, & networking tools
Smart Job Searches
Cornerstone 2:
Compile a list of keywords from a simulated job search
Document collaboration, editing, formatting, templates, & exports using Google Docs
Resume Tools & Templates
Cornerstone 3:
Edit session 4 keywords into a shared sample resume
Responsible AI-assisted cover letter drafting, including prompting, iterative review, & formatting
Cover Letter Creation
Cornerstone 4:
Generate a cover letter using a custom AI assistant
Video conferencing basics, including calendar navigation, participant controls, & professional meeting behavior
Managing Meetings Online
Cornerstone 5:
Schedule a meeting with a video conference attached