Incorporating Career Development Skills into the First-Year Seminar Course

1. Incorporating Career Development Skills into the First-Year Seminar Course Ann Blasick, MS Assistant Director, Division of Professional Practice Steven P. Girardot, Ph.D. Director, Office of Success Programs 30th Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience February 7, 2011

2. Agenda • Institutional Profile • Georgia Tech’s Freshman Seminar (GT 1000) • GT 1000 Career Development Learning Outcomes • Case Study: Division of Professional Practice Cohort Section of GT1000

3. Georgia Tech Institutional Profile • Four-Year, Public Research University • Six Colleges (35 Majors): • Engineering, Computing, Sciences Management, Liberal Arts, Architecture • 20,720 students (66% undergraduate) • Overall Undergraduate Demographics: • ~68% from Georgia and ~6% international • ~35% minority (~12% URM) • ~31% women • ~59% majoring in engineering • First-year retention rate: 94% • Six-year graduation rate: 80% Source: Office of Institutional Research and Planning

4. Freshman Class of 2010 • 2,700 freshmen • 63% Georgia Residents • 8% International • 76% from India, China, South Korea • 36% Female • Average SAT = 1370 • Average HS GPA = 3.87 • 44 states & 51 countries represented • Top Reasons for Choosing GT: • Academic Reputation (90%) • Get Good Jobs (87%) • Get into top graduate/professional schools (55%) Source: Office of Institutional Research and Planning

5. Freshman Seminar (GT 1000) Overview • Extended Orientation Seminar • One Contact Hour, Letter-graded • Average Class size- 25 students • Not required (~70% enrollment) • Utilizes Peer Mentors (Team Leaders) • Range of instructors (e.g., faculty, student affairs, academic affairs, advisors, etc.) • Fall 2010- 82 sections offered. Three types of Sections • Interdisciplinary (40 sections) • Departmental/Disciplinary (27 sections) • Special Cohort (15 sections)

6. Freshman Seminar (GT 1000) Overview • Curriculum • University Culture • Academic Success/Time Management • Communication Skills • Major and Career Research • Career Development Skills • Leadership and Involvement • These course topics map to nine learning outcomes • Three required assignments: • Resume and Cover Letter • Team Project and Presentation • Career and Major Project

7. Question What career development elements (if any) are included in your freshman seminar course?

8. GT1000 Career Development Learning Outcomes • Describe the required skills, daily activities, current and future state (growth potential), and salary potential of the major/career selected • Develop a resume applicable to internships, co-ops, study abroad programs or leadership positions (as appropriate)

9. Case Study: Professional Practice GT1000 • Semesters: Piloted in Fall 2009 Offered again in Fall 2010 • Students: 25-30 freshman engineering majors • Instructor: Internship advisor from Division of Professional Practice • Team Leaders:5 engineering seniors who had each completed at least 2 semesters of co-op or internship work experience

10. Additional Career Development Learning Outcomes • Be able to describe components of the co-op, internship and work abroad programs • Establish personal goals and a timeline for next 4+ years • Create a professional reference list • Develop effective interviewing skills • Conduct an informational interview • Create and utilize a LinkedIn Account • Find and apply for jobs • Be able to successfully transition from school to work

11. Syllabus Components • TL-led Small Groups to follow GT1000 model • Brief talks on various career topics led by instructor and TLs • Assignments paralleling GT1000 requirements but with career development slant • Guest Speakers (Study Abroad, Undergrad Research) • Student Panels • Employers Panels

12. Reflective Writing • Blog prompts on career-related reflection questions: • Why did you choose your major? Were you influenced by outside factors? • Do you think your major both matches your skills AND would lead to a career you are passionate about? • What aspect of working as a co-op or intern is most exciting to you? • In addition to earning your degree, what other goals would you like to achieve while at Georgia Tech?

13. Team Project & Presentation • 2009: Create a business plan for an original company or product utilizing the majors of each person in the group • 2010: Utilized textbook topics including GT Traditions, Off-Campus Dining or Proposal for a new GT Organization

14. Resume & Cover Letter • Provided students with sample template and rubric • Opportunity to submit 1st and 2nd draft • Harshly graded 1st draft to encourage students to revise and submit a 2nd draft • Required cover letter be written for a specific internship/co-op posting from GT job database • Possible Activities: • Resume with Errors Activity • 10-second Scan

15. Career Project Components • Researching Your Major • Professional Articles • LinkedIn Account • Informational Interview with Upperclass Student in their Major • Informational Interview with Professional in their Field • Company Spreadsheet using Company Database such as Reference USA • Timeline for their next 4+ years • Reflection Paper

16. Additional Activities • Career Services Career Planner • “Guess Which Major” Assignment • Peer-to-Peer Mock Interviews • Create your own Elevator Pitch • Design your Ideal Job • Clean-up your Cyber Image • Extra credit for attending Majors Fair, Employer Site Visits or Job Shadowing and then writing a reflective blog post

17. Assessment: 2009 Survey Results

18. Assessment: 2010 Survey Results

19. Assessment: Survey Results

20. “What was the Most Beneficial Part of the Class?” – Top 7 Responses • In-depth Overview of Co-op and Internship Programs • Resume and Cover Letters • Employer Panels • How to Get and Maintain a Job • Interviewing • Talking to the TLs about real life; student work stories • Professionalism

21. Challenges • TIME! • Dedicating time that matches students high interest in study abroad, work abroad and undergrad research • Incorporating small group activities and small group discussion time • Teaching how majors connect to careers • Incorporating traditional GT1000 topics such as time management and study skills

22. Student Quotes “My search for a co-op after completing this assignment seems to be a lot less stressful. I know what I want, I know the resources available to get it, and I know how to approach companies ready to make myself seem like I have the potential to be a valuable employee…the class, helped me more than I was expecting... I now feel prepared, well informed, and ready to job hunt!”

23. Student Quotes “The lessons learned…have given me a greater understanding of what my major entails and what I need to do to become successful, not only at Tech, but in the real world.”

24. Contact Information Ann Blasick Dr. Steven Girardot Division of Professional Practice Office of Success Programs ann.blasick@dopp.gatech.edusteven.girardot@vpss.gatech.edu 404-894-0735 404-894-1951

25. Assessment: Entrance Survey Results

26. Change of Major * Note: All students who changed majors switched to another STEM major. No students changed to Business or Liberal Arts.