Wednesday, July 26 Break-Out Sessions

8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Break-Out Session Tracks:

College

Employer

Both, College and Employer

Break-Out Session Levels:

Level 1: New Professionals (less than 5 years)

Level 2: Mid-Career Professionals (5-10 years)

Level 3: Directors (10+ years)

Level 4: All levels will benefit    

Dang that Workshop was LIT!:

Innovative Approaches to Career Development

             Track: College                                                               Level:  2    

Presenter:

• Katie Sewell, Assistant Director, Career Services
  University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Core service offerings by career service offices include workshops, one-on-one coaching, and classes. Connecting to and successfully engaging students in these settings is fundamental to furthering their career development and core competencies (NACE, 2016), retaining them as students (Feldman, 2005), and helping them become successful as young professionals. Traditional approaches in engagement can become stale, leaving students feeling as if we are either not speaking directly to them or, even worse, talking down to them, leading to disengagement in the information and the career development process. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Business Administration, student evaluations of mandatory career courses indicated that students dislike traditional activities because they fail to see the application of career development theory as business students.  To address the issue, Career Services at CBA has developed innovative approaches to traditional career development activities and topics that engage students and help them understand why the activities are directly applicable to their degree and career interests. To begin the process, staff assessed a combination of course evaluations and generational research. Research indicates that Generations Y and Z are more realistic than their Generation X counterparts, tech-savvy (Casella, 2015), and entrepreneurial in nature making them far more likely to carve their own path rather than look to traditional employment (Schwabel, 2014). Considering all the research, it becomes clear that traditional career development activities may not work for the new student. Students want to know how they can develop into the best version of themselves in order to make a positive impact on the world, whether that be through traditional employment or by starting their own business (Pollak, 2016). Taking the time to understand the world view of the new generation of students and transforming activities accordingly has led to increased engagement in the topics of self-assessment, networking, resume development, and professional goal-setting.  Breaking from traditional norms, Career Services at CBA has sought out, transformed, and implemented activities, tools, and terminology leveraged by employers in a variety of capacities in appointments, workshops, and classes. By leveraging the same activities and terminology as employers and explaining to students the sources of the activities, students are engaging in the process at higher numbers as well developing into polished professionals.  In this session, we will examine the research that led to the adaptations and innovations as well as offer solid examples of what has worked and how it can be adapted by other offices and campuses. The examples offered can be applied in career service offices at a wide range of institutions, from large research-based universities to community colleges. Participants will be engaged in large group discussion, small group discussion, and hands-on learning through engaging in one or more of the activities themselves. The intent of this presentation is to challenge participants to rethink their own approaches to teaching career development to maximize student engagement in the process. 

Keep Calm and Recruit On - 
Becoming a Top Dog in a Candidate's Market 

             Track: Employer                                                           Level:  4  

Presenters:

• Tabby Cates, Talent Acquisition Specialist
  Enterprise Holdings
• Monica Hood Talent Acquisition Specialist
  Enterprise Holdings

Keep Calm and Recruit On is a comprehensive look at the modern day recruiting process and candidate experiences among companies.   A team of recruiters from Enterprise Holdings assembled together to outline the recruiting process from start to finish, mapping out key areas improving the overall experience.  While our focus more recently has been on the millennial generation, its time to focus on Gen Z.  This group is made up of those born between 1996-2010, so its important to realize that this generation has been around as long as the internet and have grown up completely online.  Communication and technology has changed and is on the move! So what are other companies doing that you should be?  We have the answers! This is a great refresher and update for experienced recruiters and a valuable insight on how to get results for the newest talent acquisition professional.  
 

*Time the Wisest Counselor:

Understanding Individual and Cultural Time Perspectives

             Track: Both                                                                  Level:  4  

Click here to access a PDF of the presentation

Presenter:

• Tammison Smith, Career Advisor
  Michigan State University

Our often unconscious and unspoken orientation to time can shape how we react to events, make daily choices, and communicate. Understanding diverse views on time can broaden our awareness and appreciation for individual and cultural differences. This presentation will explore two different time perspectives. Hall’s monochronic and polychronic time perspectives offer contrasting views on the tempos at which cultures function. A practical application of cultural chronemics, helping International students master domestic interviewing skills, will be shared. Another more individualistic take on time, Zimbardo’s Time Perspective, will also be explored. Whether we are stuck in past problems, caught up in a whirlwind of present experiences or driven to achieve future goals we can live out of temporal balance and unwell. Research has shown that a flexible approach to time helps lead to a balanced life. The presenter will offer exercises to increase personal time flexibility. Additionally, working with special student populations and with generational issues will be considered. 

Revitalize Career Counseling & Job Search Skills!

             Track: College                                                           Level:  1&2   

Presenters:

• Jerry Donahue, Assistant Director
  Northwestern University
• Susan Mango Curtis, Associate Professor Medill School of Journalism
  Northwestern University

Focus on the Improvement of job-search counseling skills and resources for students in today's recruiting market. Specifics on enhancing resume writing and cover letter development, branding, LinkedIn use, and the resources available to counselors to enhance their work with students during the job search phase of career development. The importance of digital portfolios will be an emphasis for all majors.

*The Benefits of Small Group Advising: 
Rethinking One-on-One Advising

             Track: College                                                           Level:  1&2  

Click here to access a PDF of the presentation

Presenters:

• Laura Myers, Associate Director
  Northwestern Career Advancement, Northwestern University
• Elizabeth Herrera, Associate Director of Career Services
  University of Illinois at Chicago - School of Public Health

One-on-one appointments continue to be the main way students interact with career offices. However, with increasing demands on career professionals' time how can we meet the needs of students in a different format? Moreover, how can we encourage students to learn from each other? This session will address one way, which is through small group advising. Both presenters have been revitalized by working with students in a new way, and want to share what they have discovered. By attending this session, you will learn how to implement small group advising that works for your institution from the perspective of career professionals at two very different institutions: a private liberal arts institution and a state funded large public institution.  

*Contributing to a Positive Campus Climate as

Career Services Professionals

    Track: College                                                           Level:  4   

Click here to access a PDF of the presentation

Presenters:

• Chelsea Moore, Coordinator, University Career Center
  University of Michigan
• Tyler Wang, Recruitment Coordinator, University Career Center
  University of Michigan

Midwest ACE Award-Winning Assessment Project:

Experience Examples, Propose Your Own!

Presenters:

• Julia Panke Makela, PhD, NCC, Associate Director for Assessment and Research of The Career Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Jessamyn Perlus, MS, doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Eilis Wasserman, Assistant Director, Career Coach, Ball State University Career Center