TULANE UNIVERSITY NEWCOMB-TULANE COLLEGE CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS YEAR-END REVIEW

Transcription

1 TULANE UNIVERSITY NEWCOMB-TULANE COLLEGE CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS YEAR-END REVIEW

2 OUR VISION Newcomb-Tulane College offers a holistic approach to undergraduate education and student development that empowers students to see academic and career planning as a cohesive and continuous process that starts during their freshman year but continues well past graduation. While advising at most colleges is passive waiting for students to seek out guidance Tulane is pro-active. Within the undergraduate college, the Academic Advising Center and Tulane Career Center partner strategically to engage students through one-on-one advising, an innovative career development curriculum, and opportunities to build the skills and network necessary to be successful at Tulane and beyond. During the academic year, Newcomb-Tulane College made great strides in developing a career curriculum and a range of career events outside of the classroom. Building on this success, the Academic Advising Center will pilot a program during the school year in which advisors to students studying the Liberal Arts will integrate career planning into their advising process. Upon successful completion of the pilot program, advisors in all disciplines will incorporate career planning into the academic advising process. After graduation, as part of the Tulane family, students will still have access to career support as alumni, offered by the Tulane Alumni Association s Alumni Career Services program. Newcomb-Tulane College aims to revolutionize career and academic planning by building a team of staff members providing students support for career, life skills and academics. The program, unique in higher education, will allow students to see how their academic path ties directly to a future career and enable them to take advantage of every available resource during their four years in college. Career fairs draw top employers to campus, giving students the opportunity to network, discover new companies and get career advice.

3 THE IMPACT OF YOUR SUPPORT OVERVIEW >>> Your generosity has ignited career development at Tulane University. Because of your support, career services is undergoing a renaissance, giving Tulane students comprehensive career guidance both in and out of the classroom. The Career Development Curriculum fund doubled the Tulane Career Center s capacity to assist undergraduate students entering the job market and provided a credit-bearing career preparation course that was such a success that it has been expanded for Fall The Career Services Enhancement Fund and Newcomb-Tulane College Career Programs Endowed Fund enabled the college to sponsor Career Wave signature events in 2013 and 2014, which attracted hundreds of eager, job-seeking students and successful alumni and parents to campus for career preparation seminars and talks. In addition to the once-a-year headline events, Tulane hosted industry-specific Career Wave seminars throughout the year that have been extremely popular. Career Development Curriculum Fund In a move that doubled its staff, the Tulane Career Center hired three career educators in 2013 to implement the university s first-ever career curriculum. In Spring 2014, 90 students took the pilot course: Majors, Internships and Jobs. The eight sections of the course were split evenly between freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. The courses were tailored to fit the interests of the students in the class, spending more time on choosing a major for freshmen and more time on the job search for seniors. The course was a major success students raved about the skills they learned. Tulane s career development efforts have caught the eye of the national press (Appendix A). Tulane s daily newsletter, New Wave detailed the exciting expansion at the Tulane Career Center, and advertised the course for prospective students (Appendix B). Numerous students, across all grades, reported that the class helped them secure interviews, internships and job offers. Based on knowledge garnered in the class, students also made academic and lifestyle decisions, such as deciding on a major, changing majors or choosing a graduate program. Freshmen reported making the most decisions about academic choices while seniors obtained the highest number of interviews. Juniors attained the highest number of internships. STUDENTS WHO RATED ACTIVITIES AS VERY HELPFUL SOPHOMORES, JUNIORS, & SENIORS FRESHMEN 88.4% Resume 87% Mock Interviews 75.4% Linkedin 71% Elevator Speech 71% Cover Letter 62.3% Strengthsfinder 90.5% Do what you are 90.5% Strengthsfinder 75.4% Resume 71% What can I do with a Major in % Information interview 2

4 TOTAL NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS REPORTING DECISIONS, INTERVIEWS, AND OFFERS FRESHMEN 17 of 21 students... 81% made academic decisions JUNIORS 15 of 20 students... 75% got internship offers SENIORS 23 of 27 students... 85% got interviews Students reported that the concrete skills they learned, such as writing resumes and gaining interview skills, were the most helpful. That s the area where the highest percentage of students recommended more focus for a future course: resumes, cover letters, mock interviews and networking s. In addition, students recognized how useful the course proved in giving them the intangibles that are crucial to a job search, such as higher self-confidence. After completing all the assignments for this course, which were purposeful, worthwhile and directly related to my own career goals, I absolutely feel more confident, optimistic and prepared to enter the workforce. ELYSE ISLEY Psychology 2015 The course highlighted so many possibilities and areas of interest. For the first time, I began to consider the pros and cons for each of my potential future careers. BEN WISIALOWSKI Economics

5 THE FUTURE >>> As a result of the success of the pilot program, in the academic year, the Tulane Career Center will expand the career curriculum from 90 to 900 students and split it into three different courses: a course for first-years or students deciding on their major; one for sophomores and juniors; and another for seniors. Career Wave Tulane held the first-ever Career Wave over a weekend in January 2013 and attracted a wide range of highly successful people to Tulane s campus. Attended by 450 undergraduates, the event showcased featured speakers plus panels of alumni. The second signature event, held in February 2014 grew to about 700 attendees. In addition to highly-accomplished alumni and professionals, organizer Byron Kantrow heeded undergraduates pleas to hear from successful younger alumni and flew in seven young rising stars. Both signature events have seen tangible results. Chelsea Zesch (LA 13) attended Career Wave in 2013 and, based on Tulane connections, advertising powerhouse Grey Group hired her as an assistant account executive on the national T.J. Maxx account. She returned to Career Wave in 2014 as a rising star panelist. Career Wave has proven so popular that Tulane has branded a series of spin-off Career Wave events that take place throughout the academic year. All Career Wave events have been well-covered by Tulane s daily newsletter, New Wave, that is sent to students, staff, faculty, alumni and parents, (Appendix C). It s amazing how many successful Tulane alums are out there and how many are willing to help Tulane students. CHELSEA ZESCH Spanish and Chinese Studies 2013 In addition to the once-a-year signature events, the Career Wave Spotlight Series highlights successful alumni and professionals in particularly popular industries like entertainment and finance. In February 2014, Tulane alumna and Chairman/COO of Atlantic Records, Julie Greenwald (NC 92), spoke on campus about establishing her career in the entertainment industry. She focused on her rise to the top and gave advice for undergraduates interested in careers in entertainment and music. Career Wave also hosts industry-specific panels that have been well-attended. In fall 2014, a Tulane to Wall Street panel drew 100 students with an interest in finance to hear success secrets from a panel of alumni and parents from top banks. 4

6 Anthony Bronzo, a rising senior majoring in finance, handed in his resume before the panel and prepared for his interviews armed with tips that the alumni imparted during the panel discussion. He interviewed with Credit Suisse and Citibank and was awarded a summer 2014 internship with Citigroup s capital markets team in leverage finance. Getting exposure to the firms at the Wall Street panel was beneficial. Career Wave got my resume in the right hands and it got me a conversation that opened doors. ANTHONY BRONZO Finance 2015 Another industry-specific panel in April 2014 motivated Tulane undergraduates to pursue careers in Hollywood. Tulane to Hollywood attracted eight entertainment VIPs all Tulane alumni or parents. They shared their paths to success with 420 undergraduates. One of the students inspired by the Hollywood panel was Troy Dubrowsky, a 2014 psychology major. He attended all the Career Wave events available during his junior and senior years and worked internships in finance, law, at a sports agency and at a tech website. But it wasn t until the Hollywood panel that he felt he found his calling. He sat down with panelist Dawn Steinberg, who supervises casting for Sony Pictures Television. That meeting led to more interviews, and now he is working in original programming at Sony Pictures Television. Every piece of advice, every story they told, resonated with me and made me realize that I knew where I wanted to be. TROY DUBROWSKY Psychology

7 Another panelist, Jack Sussman, a Tulane parent and Executive Vice President of Specials, Music & Live Events at CBS, sat down with Dubrowsky and his Tulane classmate J.P. Stiles at a pre-panel lunch held for students interested in the entertainment industry. Getting the insider perspective from Sussman and the other panelists was an eye-opening experience, said Stiles, who is now interning for Doug Ellin (A&S 90), the creator and executive producer of the hit HBO series Entourage, now an upcoming movie. Career Wave solidified my decision and desire to come out to Los Angeles. J. P. STILES Psychology and Digital Media Productions 2014 THE FUTURE >>> Based on feedback from the first two signature Career Waves, the 2015 event will be held as a conference: students will hear from one or two keynote speakers and then attend breakout sessions based on their career interests. Byron Kantrow also plans to build in networking opportunities for students and panelists. He will continue to work in tandem with the Tulane Career Center (a division of Newcomb- Tulane College) and the Career Management Center (operated by the A. B. Freeman School of Business) to make the signature event a success. The industry-specific Career Wave panels will continue to highlight careers in different fields in an effort to reach as many undergraduates as possible. In addition to entertainment and finance, panels will be held for students interested in working in such areas as the nonprofit sector, government or science and engineering. Kantrow has been keeping detailed data at Career Wave events, such as students demographic backgrounds and the geographic areas they hope to live after graduation. He will use this data to guide him as he develops future events. IT S EASY TO GIVE PHONE ONLINE tulane.edu/giving 6

8 Appendix A: National Press >>> The Atlantic, Oct. 30, 2013: A New Goal for Colleges: No One Moves Back Home After Graduation reported on Career Wave and quoted Dean James MacLaren. EXCERPT BELOW: At Tulane University s Career Wave program, which began this past January, more than 400 sophomores, juniors and seniors signed up for a full day of speakers, workshops and networking opportunities with Tulane alumni. James MacLaren, Tulane s undergraduate dean, says parents can be resources for informational interviews and potential work opportunities as much as the university s alumni are. I make the argument to parents on day one that one of our goals is to make sure that your son or daughter isn t re-occupying the same bedroom as they are now in four years time. We want them to find their niche in life, and that means we re asking for your help in this. With positive feedback from students, the original Career Wave conference is going to be held again this winter, with plans to hold similar events all throughout the academic year.

9 >>> James MacLaren discussed which businesses are recruiting college students on CNBC s Power Lunch on May 30, >>> Tulane partners with LinkedIn on the social network s Higher Education initiative, a partnership that is instrumental to students and alumni making professional contacts within the Tulane network

10 Appendix B: New Wave Article (Career Curriculum)

11 Appendix C: New Wave Articles (Career Wave)

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