Carnegie Mellon University
June 24, 2016

Career Guidance: New Course Explores Options, Helps Students Prepare

Career Guidance: New Course Explores Options, Helps Students Prepare

Planning the transition from college to career can be intimidating and overwhelming. A new fall course will equip sophomores and juniors with tools to help forge unique professional paths.

In the “Pathways: Dietrich College Career Exploration Seminar” mini course, students will meet alumni, learn about their career trajectories and use their stories to inspire their own professional development plans.

They will also learn practical skills like how to create professional networks, write effective résumés and cover letters and use internship experiences to launch their careers. Weekly seminars will feature guest speakers from the university’s Career and Professional Development Center and the English Department’s Professional Writing Program, as well as alumni and hiring managers from the Pittsburgh region.

Jennifer Keating-Miller, assistant dean for educational initiatives in the Dietrich College, is looking forward to assisting students in the exploration process.

“I want students to feel a sense of acknowledgment that their undergraduate education will give them specific skills that will readily translate to the workplace, regardless of their area of developing expertise,” said Keating-Miller.

She added, “There is a lot of discourse that links a college education to professional paths or readiness to join the workforce. This doesn’t take into account the value of exploration and intellectual development that comes from undergraduate students choosing to study in a discipline that they find intellectually stimulating and gratifying.”

Students in the course are expected to attend the fourth Under Construction event in mid-November, which will be open to all Dietrich College students. The weekend conference will give them the opportunity to network with alumni from across the country and hear firsthand accounts of how to cultivate careers in diverse fields.

Learn more and register for “Pathways” (course 66202)

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By Emily Stimmel