“What am I supposed to do now?” It’s the question every student wants to know the answer to, but few mentors or advisors know how to answer. The Founder of NexPath, Sriram Pullapantula says this is the challenge he is focused on solving. The platform finds valuable skills, certifications and experience, and properly connects students with future career paths.
Pullapantula says the applications for the tech are numerous. He sees educational institutions using it to guide students, and he sees companies using it to locate talent that otherwise would have flown under their radar. He believes most students are selling themselves short, missing massive opportunities.
Justin Brady
Pullapantula has launched NextPath, a software platform designed to bring career clarity to high school and college students overwhelmed by rapid technological growth. Pullapantula, who recently switched his own major from computer engineering to finance, developed the platform to tackle student dropouts and Midwest talent brain drain caused by career confusion. Designed entirely by a student team, NextPath provides tailored guidance rather than competing with established job boards. “Our purpose is not really to replace the job portals, but is more to give you guidance on how to land, how to increase your chances of getting an interview,” Pullapantula explained.
Swiping Right on Future Careers
Described as a “Duolingo for careers,” NextPath swaps tedious, boring surveys for an interactive chatbot and a TikTok-style feed. “…we’ve implemented this swiping feature because, you know, a lot of days we’re on Instagram, we’re on TikTok, we– People love to swipe, right?” Pullapantula said of the quick user interface. Users upload resumes, which are matched against the federal O*NET database to identify skill alignments and suggest necessary certifications like CPAs. For high schoolers lacking professional experience, the app’s AI extracts marketable skills from activities like FBLA, Boy Scouts, and bilingual skills.
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Combating Iowa’s Brain Drain
After successfully validating the concept with students at Republic Polytechnic in Singapore, Pullapantula—who grew up in Iowa for 14 years—is focusing on local expansion. He recently presented the platform at 1 Million Cups in Des Moines, highlighting features like customized reports for recruiters and geofencing tools designed to keep local talent in Iowa. “Once people realize what the market’s actually like with their skills, they don’t like it,” Pullapantula noted, emphasizing the value of catching mismatch issues before graduation. Organizations and beta users can connect with NextPath online at nexpath.sg.