As an essential part of the developmental aspect of career planning, five one-credit courses have been designed to assist students with identifying personal strengths, making informed career choices, searching for jobs and internships, planning for graduate school and developing wealth management skills. These courses are conducted in a workshop style format in order to promote maximum involvement and interaction with students.
Career Planning I (CARP 211)
This course provides an introduction to the elements of the decision-making process as it applies to career decisions throughout one’s lifespan. Students will have the opportunity to explore their own interests, values, and skills through targeted activities and career assessments. Engaging activities focused on developing qualities that emphasize resiliency, perseverance, and optimism also serve as an integral part of the course. By the end of the course, students will have created their own personalized career development plan.
Wealth Management / Life Skill for the New Graduate (CARP 411)
This course provides students with the platform to learn and discuss the practical knowledge needed to assist them in making informed financial and life skill decisions upon graduation. Once students graduate, they are presented with new challenges involving critical professional and personal decisions (new job, student loan repayment, renting or buying a home/apartment, understanding lease agreements, personal banking and credit, insurance policies, etc.). The process presented will allow students to become educated in a variety of areas centered on wealth management and practical financial life skills.
Career Planning II (CARP 412)
This course provides students with the opportunity to engage in focused activities that enhance their individualized job search skills. The workshop-type sessions include components on identifying purpose and meaningful career awareness, defining a personal self-brand, developing a resume and cover letter, and gaining interview and executive etiquette/dining skills. Also covered are the identification of the hidden job market, effective use of on-line job notifications, preparation for employment fairs, and exploration of graduate schools. By the end of the course, students should be prepared to navigate their own internship and/or job search.
The Deciding Program (CARP 111 and CARP 150)
An innovative academic program, designed in partnership with the Office of Academic Advisement, the Deciding Program supports a student from their initial advising meeting through the declaration of an academic major. As a participant, first-year students will automatically be enrolled in two, one-credit courses that use impactful career coaching, emphasize career adaptability and construction, and support life-long learning.
In CARP 111, students engage in a variety of activities focused on personal reflection and growth in self-knowledge. This allows participants to make choices and career plans based on an assessment of interests, skills, and values as well as gather up-to-date information about occupations and trends in the job market. Students will develop a plan to transition these characteristics into academic programs and courses of interest as well as optimize the advisement process through goal-oriented and student-driven advisement sessions.
CARP 150, students will explore their personal meaning related to work, relationships, community and becoming one’s authentic self within society. Through a personal and professional reflective process, students will develop a clear understanding of the concept of vocation and skills of discernment while meaningfully identifying and articulating their unique strengths, life experiences, values, and interests which relate to their calling. Students will be able to interpret and illustrate how the needs of others impact the vocational process and apply principles and methods of vocational discernment to their present (life) choices.