Helping Students to Better Understand and Become More

Engaged in the Career Development Process

Academic Advising PD

Denise Dwight Smith & Sharon Thorpe

(University Career Center),

Dr. Kim Buch (Psychology and CTL)

AGENDA

• Stages of Career Development- brief Overview

• How do students make decisions?

• UCC Services • Individual Advising

and Course Integration-what is

your main interest?• Examples• Next Steps

Intro to Career Development

•A CYCLE, not a linear progression•Consists of 4 stages:

Career decision-making

Career planning and preparation

Career employment

Career reassessment

How Do Students Make Career Decisions?

Principle Influencers

Parents- MOM

Peers

Faculty

Supervisors

UCC/ Advisors

Media

Career Decisions Making Basis

Inaccurate Information

Incomplete Information

Jobs and Careers: what do these have in common?

Print Director

Healthcare Billing Specialist

Legislative Intern

Quality Administrator

Satellite Systems Operator

Operations Specialist

Road Show Host

Student Outreach-Veterans Affairs

?

Career Decision-Making

Internal Exploration• Values • Skills• Interests

External Exploration• Jobs • Careers• Further Study

Career Decision-Making: Internal

•Asking the question, “How well do I know myself?,” engaging in exploration of:

Values – What matters to me?

Interests – What do I enjoy?

Personality – What are my preferences?

Skills – What am I good at?

•Tools: career self-assessments, career advising, personal reflection paper or presentation

Career Decision-Making: External

•Asking the question, “How well do I know mycareer options?” •Tools: Career Prospector job shadowing program, informational interviewing, UCC career resourcelibrary and publications (WCIDWAMIs – What Can IDo with a Major in …? and How to Get a Job in … series), online career tools (CareerSpots), portfolioon information obtained

Career Planning and Preparation

•Exploring career options, gaining career-relatedexperience, building professional/job search skills •Tools: Experiential Learning (49erships, co-ops), part-time employment, UCC workshops and online tools (OptimalResume), career fairs (Experiential Learning & Part-Time Job Fair), short-termexperiential work as part of course requirement

Career Employment

•Connecting with job/graduate school opportunities, becoming employed in a satisfying, career-related position or graduate program

• Tools: Resume and cover letter critiques, mockinterviewing, job search consultation, career fairs (Career & Public Service Expo), NinerJobNet, on-campus interviewing, employer informationsessions, online tools (Interfolio)

Career Reassessment

•Continuously reassessing

values, interests,personality, and skills as career progresses for effective lifelong career management

Advising Integration

• As part of establishing goals, commitment

to success and 4 year planning• Major and career

discussions• Parental pressure-

referral and helping • to educate• Experiential learning

readiness, plan for

Job and grad school search resources• Events and location

awareness• What we do-dispel

myths

Where to start

• Drop-ins or appointment with career

Counselors-discipline base• Outreach tables• Give card of the

advisor• Newsletter• NJN-show website.

www.career.uncc.edu

• Workshop and events schedule

• EL info

Course Integration

Go beyond

awareness of

services

UCOL and HONR Courses

UCOL 1000 College Transition First Year

UCOL 1011 College Transition Transfers

UCOL 1200 First Year Seminars

UCOL 1300 Academic Success Seminars

HONR 1100 University Honors Freshman Seminar

47 of 52 classes scheduled to visit UCC or have

completed group self-assessment interpretation in

class.

UCOL and HONR Faculty Survey

Most frequent integration activities beyond UCC visit

and self-assessments:

Career paper (11)

Attendance at Majors Day (10)

Resume/Cover Letter instruction (8)

Career Portfolio (6)

Career Fair Attendance (5)

(Respondents=20)

UCOL/HONR Student Feedback(Respondents=418)

• This program/workshop has enabled me to

increase my knowledge base about careers. Mean = 4.33• As a result of participating in this program,

I have a better understanding of the connection between

my personal/academic/and career goals. Mean = 4.41• As a result of participating in this program, I feel more

motivated to take action steps toward my career planning

and/or decision-making. Mean = 4.41• This program has allowed me to obtain educational

and occupational information to aid my career and

educational planning. Mean = 4.52

413/418 students would recommend the session to other students.

Additional Classroom Integration

Mock Interviews

– Public Health, CommunicationsNJN Orientation

– Business, Kinesiology, MathExperiential Learning

– BusinessNetworking

– Public HealthWhole Life Concepts Project

– EngineeringUniversity Career Center

– Career/Academic Action PlanSelf-Assessment

– Business, ITCS, Anthropology

Pre- test/Post-test T-Test Analysis 2012-2013

9 out of 10 mean differences statistically significant

on the Strong, indicating individual

mean increases from pre-test to post-test were due to

the assessment and not increased purely by chance.

7 out of 9 mean differences statistically significant

on the MBTI,

indicating individual mean increases from pre-test

to post-test were

not increased purely by chance.

purely by chance.

SA Pre-test/Post-test Statement MBTI StrongB I am aware of how my interests, abilities, and

values relate to academic majors.4.12 4.40

4.074.55

B I am aware of how my interests, abilities, and values related to career decision-making.

4.08 4.36

4.144.53

B I understand how to research various career fields.

3.744.12

3.614.31

B I fell prepared to select a major that relates to my career goal.

4.054.29

3.664.10

B I am aware of career paths related to some majors of interest.

4.074.37

3.844.41

S I feel motivated to take action steps toward career planning and/or decision making.

4.354.41

4.294.46

B I am familiar with UNC Charlotte resources and campus offices that can support my academic success.

3.904.14

3.924.32

B I have a strong knowledge base about careers. 3.483.95

3.414.06

SA Pre-test/Post-test Statements MBTI Strong

B I am aware of how my interests, abilities, and values relate to academic majors.

4.12 4.40 4.074.55

B I am aware of how my interests, abilities, and values related to career decision-making.

4.08 4.36 4.144.53

B I understand how to research various career fields. 3.744.12

3.614.31

B I fell prepared to select a major that relates to my career goal.

4.054.29

3.664.10

B I am aware of career paths related to some majors of interest.

4.074.37

3.844.41

S I feel motivated to take action steps toward career planning and/or decision making.

4.354.41

4.294.46

B I am familiar with UNC Charlotte resources and campus offices that can support my academic success.

3.904.14

3.924.32

B I have a strong knowledge base about careers. 3.483.95

3.414.06

Career Planning Scale

Knowledge of the World of Work

Self-Knowledge

Knowledge of Occupations

Career Decision Making

Career Planning

Career Implementation

Career Planning ScaleSelf Knowledge

Describe what would motivate you to keep working even if you

won the lottery. Make a list of three or more occupations that could fill these needs and values.

Knowledge of Occupations Look for information on the Internet about three occupations

that interest you. Identify salary information, working conditions,

employment outlook, and education needed to do the job. Shadow an employee in an occupation of interest. Follow that

worker for one day and ask about the work he or she does.

Career Decision-Making Discuss your occupational choices with your family and friends. How does their feedback weigh into your decision?

Career Implementation Make a list of barriers you face in reaching your career goals. Next to each barrier, write what you will do to overcome it.

Integrating Career Concepts into Academic Classes

• Psyc 1000 or any course for first-year students or transfers in any discipline (including Prospect for Success courses)

• Psyc 3405 or Practicum/Internship courses in any discipline

• Psyc 4630 or Capstone Courses in any discipline

QUESTIONS?

Courses for First-Year Students or Transfers in Any Discipline

• Career Development– Overview of UCC and tour– What can I do with a major

in…? workshop

• Career Self-Assessment– Workshops on personality and interest inventories

(MBTI, Strong, Focus-2)

• Majors Day• Career Panels and Information Sessions• Career Paper or Related Assignment

Practicum/ Internship Courses in Any Discipline

• Introduction to Experiential Learning Workshop• Job Shadowing• Career Panels and Information Sessions

• Introduction to Online Career Tools Workshop

• Career & Public Service Expo• Internship Journal or

Related Assignment

Psyc 4630 or Capstone Courses in Any Discipline

• Job Search Tools– Resumes & Cover Letters 101– Interviewing 101– Mock Interviewing– Introduction to Online Career Tools Workshop– Career Panels & Information Sessions– Career & Public Service Expo

• Career Portfolio/ Related Assignments