A real workplace can teach something a classroom cannot.
BlackMuse connects participants to employers through a structured ladder of experiences — from a single conversation to a supported work-based learning placement.
Every partnership starts somewhere small.
Employer involvement grows step by step — from a single conversation to a structured placement — and can pause at whatever level fits a business.
- 01
Career Conversation
30–60 minutesAn employee speaks with a participant about their career, industry and work.
- 02
Employer Tour
Participants see a workplace, operations and career roles.
- 03
Job Shadow
A participant observes a professional doing the work.
- 04
Mentorship / Project
A professional supports learning through conversation, feedback or a project.
- 05
Work-Based Learning / Internship
A structured experience where participants practice skills in a professional environment.
- 06
Employment Opportunity
Where appropriate, employer connection may lead to competitive employment.
You do not have to hire someone to become a BlackMuse employer partner.
Real employers, real conversations.
A look at how BlackMuse's growing network of employer relationships supports career exploration and work-based learning.
Othentk · Cybersecurity
Real career exploration becomes more powerful when young people can speak directly with people doing the work.
Othentk, a Tacoma-based cybersecurity company, has been part of BlackMuse's growing network of employer connections supporting career exploration and work-based learning.
Through employer conversations and industry exposure, BlackMuse participants can move beyond reading about careers and begin asking professionals the questions that actually matter.
Employer relationships like these help BlackMuse connect career exploration to the real world — particularly in industries such as cybersecurity, information technology, programming, robotics, design and other rapidly changing fields.
For businesses, participation does not have to begin with a job opening. Sometimes opportunity starts with one conversation.
Questions participants ask
- What does the work look like?
- How did you get here?
- What skills matter?
- What would you recommend to someone trying to enter this field?
Robotics
Takamori Robot
Informational interview
A participant interested in robotics and technology completed an informational interview with the company's CEO, with follow-up designed to help determine whether robotics remained the right employment direction.
Creative / Media · Renton, Washington
Above The Record
CRP employer partner
Named in BlackMuse CRP records as an employer partner supporting participant workplace experience in the greater Puget Sound region.
Open a door.
Share what you know.
Help someone see a career they may not have known existed.
What BlackMuse coordinates
Employers show up for the experience. BlackMuse handles what happens around it.
Preparation
Getting participants ready for what to expect and how to show up.
Scheduling
Coordinating dates, times and logistics around the employer's calendar.
Expectations
Making sure everyone understands the purpose and shape of the experience.
On-Site Support
Support where appropriate so the experience runs smoothly for everyone.
Employer Feedback
Gathering the employer's perspective on how the experience went.
Debrief
Reviewing the experience with the participant afterward.
Questions employers ask
Become an Employer Partner
Have jobs, internships, tours, career speakers or work-based learning opportunities? We'd like to hear from you.