In the workshop, Becoming Confident and Empowered in the Job Search, students learned strategies to identify opportunities that align with their qualifications and steps to develop relevant experience.
18 students participated in the workshop and 16 completed an exit survey.
Occupational well-being includes doing work that is motivating and provides satisfaction. The Career Center assists students with identifying and eliminating barriers to obtaining such work. One's understanding of work eligibility can be one barrier. This workshop intends to empower students in assessing their eligibility for the opportunities they seek.
Students will identify their qualifications for a position and determine actions to improve in areas where they may not initially qualify.
Of the 16 students who completed the exit survey, 100% reported increased confidence in understanding the connection between their career readiness skills and job postings, while 88% felt a stronger connection to the Cal State LA community. All participants identified actionable steps for improving career readiness, and unanimously said they would recommend the workshop to others.
Sampling of Qualitative Results
Career Readiness Skills: Participants indicated feeling more confident in their career readiness skills after the workshop, with insights on using academic projects, overcoming imposter syndrome, and recognizing the importance of skills in job searching.
Connectedness to Cal State LA Community: Attendees expressed feeling a stronger connection to the Cal State LA community, citing reasons such as alumni mentorship, campus resources, shared experiences with other students, and a supportive environment.
Action Steps for Gaining Experience: Action steps include making a Career Center appointment, completing personal projects, networking in the industry, exploring micro internships, and seeking opportunities aligned with career goals.
Recommendation of the Workshop: Participants overwhelmingly said they would recommend the workshop, highlighting the valuable resources, advice, and information provided, especially for those dealing with career-related struggles and seeking guidance on micro internships.
- Attendance and survey results were positive.
- Students seemed to resonate with the topic of imposter phenomenon.
- Partnering with faculty resulted in high attendance and impact. The timing of this workshop (Wednesday at 2-3 p.m.) allowed for a faculty member and class to attend the entire session.
- Partnering with the Center for Student Involvement (CSI) allowed us to increase our outreach and provide incentives (food and prizes) for students who engaged in our workshop during the LEAD series.
- Tabling at the Well-Being Fair allowed us to promote the event day-of and reach interested students.
- Including relatable topics in combination with career services information may make information more digestible for students.
- Expand our outreach to faculty members for their involvement and determine which faculty members would be interested in having their students attend career services workshop during class time.
- Continue partnership with CSI to increase our outreach and expand our workshops for students interested in leadership development.
- Table at the campus wellness fairs to promote similar events and reach students interested in wellness.