The Career Exploration Network was designed to help incoming students understand: 1) the interrelationship between majors, campus experiences, and professionalization; 2) the value of internships and student involvement opportunities to build a professional brand; and 3) the professional plan needed to develop transferable skills critical for success in life during and after college.
The Career Exploration Network program was administered by student assistants and consisted of four engagement activities and a culminating event:
- Orientation – Participants heard from guests about the impact of early-career exploration; learned about Holland codes for career decision-making and informally obtain their code through group networking activities; and learned about the steps to complete the program and recognition benefits. They were given a follow-up assignment to take the Focus 2 Career self-assessments to expand their self-exploration of career decision-making influences.
- Career Discovery Day – During this half-day event, participants reflected upon their self-assessments and connect them to career decision-making; learned about career pathways, career mindsets, and career competencies; learned how to have career conversations with professionals; started to develop their professional brand statement; learned about S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting; and started to create their professional development plan.
- Career Adventure Conference – During this half-day event, participants experienced a mini-conference to increase their confidence in engaging in professional opportunities; heard from campus departments about professional development opportunities at Cal State LA, including internships and fellowships, volunteering, ITS LinkedIn Learning, and Alumni Mentoring Program; and practiced their career conversation questions.
- Career Networking Teams – Participants met three times, bi-weekly, with peers to hold each other accountable for taking action towards their professional development plan and learn strategies for successfully conducting career exploration.
- Recognition Event – Participants practiced their professional brand introductions and reflected upon what they learned and how they grew during the program.
They understand, articulate and connect knowledge and interdisciplinary skills to career and life after graduation. They identify and connect with mentors who encourage and support them in successfully pursuing their goals and dreams.
Participants will:
- Reflect upon influences in career decision-making to make informed career decisions
- Create a career plan for their time at Cal State LA
- Develop and articulate their professional brand
Program Outcomes
Participants will:
- Increase their confidence in their major and career choice and plan
- Increase their certainty of available career paths
- Increase their sense of belonging at Cal State LA
- Recommend this program to a friend
Assessment Method
Program outcomes were measured by pre and post surveys. The pre-survey was embedded in the program application. The post-survey was sent after the program culminating event.
Learning outcomes were measured by formative assessments during the workshops, assignments following the workshops, make-up assignments for those who missed the workshops, and assignments from the scheduled team meetings.
Participants
Our target demographic were undeclared first or second year students and incoming transfer students who indicated low or discrepant confidence in their chosen major or perception of available career paths. We received 46 applications. Advisors qualitatively coded the applications to identify candidates who would best benefit from the program. We also coded those who were not accepted to provide targeted interventions (e.g., directing to upcoming programs and services that were applicable to their needs). We selected 28 students for the Career Exploration Network program. A total of 8 students fully completed the program, including all three four program events and three team meetings.
Program Outcomes
Confidence
Pre-Assessment
How confident are you in your chosen major?
N=8
|
Answer |
% |
Count |
|---|---|---|
|
Extremely Unsure |
12.50% |
1 |
|
Unsure |
0.00% |
0 |
|
Somewhat confident |
50.00% |
4 |
|
Confident |
25.00% |
2 |
|
Extremely Confident |
12.50% |
1 |
Post-Assessment
After participating in this program, how confident are you in your chosen major?
N=5
|
Answer |
% |
Count |
|---|---|---|
|
Extremely Unsure |
0.00% |
0 |
|
Unsure |
0.00% |
0 |
|
Somewhat confident |
20.00% |
1 |
|
Confident |
40.00% |
2 |
|
Extremely Confident |
40.00% |
2 |
Certainty of Available Career Paths
Pre-Assessment
How certain are you of available career pathways?
N=8
|
Answer |
% |
Count |
|---|---|---|
|
Extremely unsure |
0.00% |
0 |
|
Unsure |
25.00% |
2 |
|
Somewhat certain |
37.50% |
3 |
|
Certain |
37.50% |
3 |
|
Extremely certain |
0.00% |
0 |
Post-Assessment
How certain are you of available career pathways?
N=5
|
Answer |
% |
Count |
|---|---|---|
|
Extremely uncertain |
0.00% |
0 |
|
Uncertain |
0.00% |
0 |
|
Somewhat certain |
0.00% |
0 |
|
Certain |
20.00% |
1 |
|
Extremely certain |
80.00% |
4 |
Sense of Belonging at Cal State LA
Post-Assessment
After participating in the Career Exploration Network program, do you feel a stronger sense of belonging to the Cal State LA community? Why or why not?
N=5
- Yes
- Yes, I feel like these resources helped need connect with people at the school with similar interest
- Yes I do , everyone was very welcoming
- Yes I do feel a stronger sense of belonging in my cal state la community, because I got expose to many resources and programs to benefit me.
- Yes because there are so many resources available to students
Recommend to a Friend
Post-Assessment
On a scale of 1 - 10, how likely are you to recommend the Career Exploration Network to a friend or colleague?
- 80% of participants who submitted resonsed selected "10."
- 20% participants who submitted resonsed selected "9."
N=5
Outcomes Data
Career Influences and Decision-Making
Career Discovery Day SLO 1: Gain insight of their strengths and values
Participants were to complete all five self-assessments in Focus 2 after attending Orientation to review their results in Career Discovery Day.
N=11
|
Events |
(#) of workshop attendees |
(#) that completed Focus 2 after workshop |
(#) that completed Career Discover Day make-up assignment (Focus 2) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Orientation |
11 |
8 |
- |
|
Career Discover Day |
8* |
- |
3** |
Disclaimers: Of the 8 students in attendance in Discovery Day, 3 students did not complete Focus 2 and 1 student completed Focus 2 before start of program. Of the 3 students who submitted make-up assignments for Career Discovery Day: 2 students only partially completed Focus 2 and 1 student completed Focus 2 before program start date.
- 45% of participants who attended Orientation, completed Focus 2 prior to Career Discovery Day
- 17% of the participants in program submitted a Career Discovery Day make-up assignment
Career Discovery Day SLO 2: Articulate insightful questions to ask during a career conversation
Participants were to formulate open-ended, professional development questions and insert their results in the Career Discover Day chat or provide them in a make-up assignment, and share them in the team meeting.
Scale:
Good = question type includes professional development, and is open-ended
Fair = question type includes professional development, but is not open-ended
Poor = question type does not include professional development, and is or not open-ended
Career Discovery Day Chat
N=5
Disclaimer: 5 of the 8 students in attendance in Career Discovery Day submitted responses
- 60% of participants who submitted responses were “Good”
- 20% of participants who submitted responses were “Fair”
- 20% of participants who submitted responses were “Poor”
Career Discovery Day Make-up Assignment
N=3
- 66% of participants who submitted responses were “Good”
- 0% of participants who submitted responses were “Fair”
- 34% of participants who submitted responses were “Poor”
Team Meeting #1
N=5
Disclaimers: It is unknown if the 5 participants who submitted team meeting responses are the same who submitted responses in the Career Discovery Day chat or submitted a Career Discovery Day make-up assignment. Each submitted response needed to contain 2 questions total.
- 30% of participants who submitted responses were “Good”
- 20% of participants who submitted responses were “Fair”
- 50% of participants who submitted responses were “Poor”
Career Adventure SLO 2: Articulate insightful questions to ask during a career conversation
Participants were to formulate open-ended, insightful professional development questions when engaging with a campus program from Team Meeting #2.
Scale:
Good = question type includes professional development, and is open-ended
Fair = question type includes professional development, but is not open-ended
Poor = question type does not include professional development, and is or not open-ended
Team Meeting #2
N=7
Disclaimers: Respondent #1 submitted 2 questions instead of 4 total. Respondent #4 submitted 3 questions instead of 4 total.
- 16% of participants who submitted responses were “Good”
- 28% of participants who submitted responses were “Fair”
- 56% of participants who submitted responses were “Poor”
Career Plan at Cal State LA
Career Adventure SLO 1: Know other campus programs for professional development.
Students described a campus resource that interested them during the Career Adventure Conference. If not about one from the conference, then students wrote on another resource on campus that interests them.
|
Campus Partners |
(#) from Team Meeting #2 |
(%) from Team Meeting #2 |
(#) from Career Adventure Make-up Assignments |
(%) from Career Adventure Make-up Assignments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Alumni Mentoring – Alumni Association |
4 |
57% |
2 |
50% |
|
Volunteering - ESPG |
0 |
0% |
0 |
0% |
|
LinkedIn Learning - ITS |
1 |
14.3% |
1 |
25% |
|
Internships/Handshake – Career Center |
1 |
14.3% |
1 |
25% |
|
Other: Food Pantry |
1 |
14.3% |
0 |
0% |
|
Total |
7 |
100% |
4* |
100% |
Disclaimer: 1 student response not accounted for because response was unclear
Develop Professional Brand
Career Discovery Day SLO 3: Build their professional brand.
Participants were to complete the “My Professional Brand” worksheet and submit their results from Team Meeting #3.
Scale: Submitted responses were assessed per the professional brand rubric. The rubric evaluates responses based on the components of a professional brand (expertise, contribution, and uniqueness) and categorizes responses into three rankings of either beginner, intermediate, or advanced.
N=8
|
Professional Brand Rankings |
Expertise |
Contribution |
Uniqueness |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Beginner |
25% |
75% |
75% |
|
Intermediate |
75% |
25% |
25% |
|
Advanced |
0% |
0% |
0% |
|
Total |
100% |
100% |
100% |
Those who completed all of the program activities indicated greater confidence in their chosen major and the pathways available to them, and would recommend the program to a friend or colleague. This program was helpful for establishing a sense of belonging at Cal State LA primarily by raising participants’ awareness of campus resources. Unfortunately, the number of students who completed the program dropped significantly indicating that the program may be too demanding of time. Despite the decrease in student engagement, over half of those selected took the five self-guided assessments gaining some insight into their strengths and values. Participants struggled with articulating questions for a career conversation in multiple activities through the program. In assessing the responses, we realized we did not have a rubric and we were unclear about what constituted a good question. This assessment process helped up to create a rubric and demonstrated the need for clear outcome expectations to ensure effective instruction. Participants were able to identify a campus resource that they sought to include in the career plan while at Cal State LA. Interestingly, the majority of students expressed interest in the Alumni Mentoring Program. Lastly, participants began to develop their professional brand. Many were able to describe their “expertise” at an intermediate level while most described their “contribution” and “uniqueness” at a beginner level. It is not surprising that the “contribution” would be at a beginner level since this takes time to develop through career conversations and the activities in their career plan. It is surprising, however, that participants were at a beginner level with articulating their “uniqueness” considering that they completed the self-guided assessments.
Throughout the program, student and professional staff regularly called and emailed participants to keep them engaged in the program even if it was through make-up activities. Given the significant drop in participants who engaged, we would like to consider reducing the time demand of the program. There was also a significant drop off of engagement from acceptance to orientation, which may mean we should revisit how we are marketing the program (e.g., is it speaking to our target population). The learning outcome assessment of this program revealed areas where our instruction needed improvement. This was helpful for identifying our next steps to improve our content, which include redesigning our insightful questions instruction to incorporate our rubric and connecting the self-guided assessments to the uniqueness section of the professional brand.