Published on Dec. 18, 2018
In fall of 2018, the MU Career Center introduced the Career Development Network- a program designed to help students with their career development. Through the program, faculty and staff participants receive specialized training in helping students with career-related questions and in preparing them for post-graduation success.
The Career Center offers trainings for the network a few times each semester, including a session at the Teaching Renewal Week in January. Though the program just recently officially launched, the Career Center has offered trainings on career development to their faculty for many years.
Faculty and staff participants in the network complete a three-part training program to become Career Services Champions. Upon completion of the training, participants receive a certificate and laptop sticker to show their ability to help students with career questions and their dedication to preparing MU students for lifelong career development.
Senior Coordinator of Student Services Carrie Collier says the creation of the Career Development Network provides a way for the Career Center to formalize the training and provide recognition and connections among faculty and staff on campus who want to help students advance their careers.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to provide faculty and staff with tools and information they can use to help students with their career development,” Collier says.
Collier helps with training career specialists and overseeing walk-in and career counseling services, along with a variety of other duties for the Center including leading its marketing activities.
While the Career Center serves thousands of students each year through drop-in services, career counseling, outreach presentations and online resources, it does not have the capacity to reach every student. This program provides faculty and staff ways to incorporate career development into interactions with students anywhere from teaching a class to meeting with students individually, advising organizations and more.
“The Career Development Network gives us the opportunity to expand our capacity to reach more students and at varying touchpoints, helping prepare them to become career-ready graduates,” Collier says.
The Career Center plans to continue offering training sessions each semester and to implement more advanced training in the future. The goal of the Career Development Network is to foster participation in the training from every unit on campus and to integrate career development into their courses and overall culture at Mizzou.
As part of the university’s strategic planning process, a goal of ensuring that 95% of undergraduate and graduate/professional students are employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation by 2023 has been set.
“We hope that by providing this training on campus, we are equipping faculty and staff with tools they can use to help the university reach this goal, and ultimately, participate in the lifelong career development and success of our graduates,” Collier says.