I am ready! A look at how
career classes are preparing
students for career success
Katy Hinz, Program Coordinator, Office for Student Engagement.
Career Development Network Chair
Career Development Network (CDN)
Goal: Raise the quality,
effectiveness and efficiency of
career services and increases
value to the overall student
development and learning
experience at the U of M
• Professional staff development
• Collaboration
• Sharing of best practices
U of M Career Course Facts
• There are over 25 career
courses taught at the U of M
• Career courses have been
taught at the U of M for over
20 years
• Carlson School of
Management requires a
career course for all students
Need for Career Course
Assessment
• Strategic positioning process & undergraduate reform
• Academic and career life planning group: key suggestion was
to require career courses or core curricular components for
students in their first 2 years or transfer students in their first
year
• Some colleges incorporate career components into first year
experience courses
– All College of Liberal Arts students were required to visit
their career center
• Beyond improved retention rates and graduation rates
administrators asked for more evidence
Process for Career Course
Assessment
• Teaching Circle was asked to find consistent points of evaluation for
career courses which align with institutional student learning and
development outcomes
• Compiled questions from pre/post tests that already existed, mapped to a
Student Development or Student Learning Outcome
• Met with consultant in Center for Teaching and learning
• Identified career course outcomes
• Created pre/post tests with each question tied to a SLO/SDO and career
course outcome
• Contacted Career Center Directors with the assessment and the process
(submit data to a shared google doc)
Pre/Post Tests: Outcomes
Student Development Outcomes: Learning Outcomes:
-Can locate and critically evaluate information
-Goal Orientation
-Can communicate effectively
-Self Awareness
Career Exploration Course Outcomes:
-Understanding of self and how it relates to their major
choice and career path
-Awareness of ways to get experience
-Knowledge of how to research majors and careers
-Has reflected on and created goals for their future
Career Planning/Planning Course Outcomes:
-Can effectively communicate to employers their qualifications
-Knowledge of how to research companies
-Knowledge of how to use multiple job search strategies
-Understands self and how it relates to their career aspirations
-Has reflected on and created goals for their future
Data Collection
Career Exploration Courses
3 Sections of College of Science and Engineering CSE 1411-71 students
6 Sections of College of Liberal Arts ID 1201- 150 students
2 Sections of College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences and
College of Design CFAN/DES 1201-23 students
n=244 students
Career Planning Courses
13 Sections of Business Administration BA 3000- 442 students
1 Section of College of Science and Engineering CSE 1413 (Spring)- 21 students
5 Sections of College of Liberal Arts ID 3201- 82 students
8 Sections of College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences and
College of Design CFAN/DES 3201- 207 students
n=752 students
Which had the biggest difference pre to post
test (career exploration courses)?
A) I know how to conduct an informational
interview to learn more about a career
B) I am aware of opportunities to get experience
related to my career interests
C) I know multiple ways to research careers that
interest me
D) I understand how my interests relate to choosing
both my major and career path
Pre/Post Tests: Overall Averages,
Career Exploration Courses
I know how to conduct an informational interview to learn more
about a career (can locate & critically evaluate info/communicate
effectively/ research)
2.43 : 4.416 Difference: 1.97
I am aware of opportunities to get experience related to my
career interests (can locate & critically evaluate info/ experience)
• 3.14 : 4.4 Difference 1.346
I know multiple ways to research careers that interest me (can
locate & critically evaluate info/research)
• 2.82 : 4.416 Difference: 1.633
SD = 1 D = 2 N/A= 3 A = 4 SA = 5
Pre/Post Tests: Overall Averages,
Career Exploration Courses
I understand how my strengths relate to choosing both my
major and career path (self awareness/self)
• 3.743 : 4.51 Difference: .776
POST test: I feel more confident about my major and career path
after taking this course **made a decision (self awareness/self)
• 4.395
I feel more confident about making a decision regarding my
major **still exploring (self awareness, self)
• 4.275
SD = 1 D = 2 N/A= 3 A = 4 SA = 5
Describe how this course has impacted your understanding
of yourself as it relates to your major
choice and plans for your career:
• It has allowed me to seek out a career that interests me, and to get in
contact with employers in that field
• This course really helped highlight my values, skills, and interests
and showed me ways to find careers that would fit me
• I have some good leads as to where I should start looking for a
career/major and I feel less stressed about making that decision
• Realized the various factors that contribute towards major/career
choice
• Deeper understanding of how to achieve career goals
• It has given me a lot of information to help me make the best
decision when choosing my major, and how that effects my career
Which had the biggest difference pre to post
test (career planning courses)?
A) I know how to research companies and
organizations
B) I have a good understanding of who I am and
how it relates to my career aspirations
C) I know how to communicate both my skills and
experiences effectively on a resume
D) I know how to write a cover letter tailored to
both a specific position and company that
demonstrates why I am a good fit
Pre/Post Tests: Overall Averages,
Career Planning Courses
I know how to communicate both my skills and experiences
effectively on a resume (self awareness/communicate
effectively/communicate)
• 3.26 : 4.416 Difference: 1.148
I know how to write a cover letter tailored to both a specific
position and company that demonstrates why I am a good
fit (self awareness/communicate effectively/communicate)
• 2.534 : 4.28 Difference: 1.764
I have developed effective interviewing skills (communicate
effectively/communicate)
• 2.998 : 3.96 Difference: .98
SD = 1 D = 2 N/A= 3 A = 4 SA = 5
Pre/Post Tests: Overall Averages,
Career Planning Courses
I know how to research companies and organizations( can
locate & critically evaluate info/research)
• 3.106 : 4.26 Difference: 1.183
Please check all strategies that you feel confident using (can
locate & critically evaluate info/strategies)
GoldPass, the Edge
Online Job Search Databases
36% : 82% Difference: 51% 44% : 67% Difference: 22%
Networking
Career Fairs
47%: 68% Difference: 23%
32% : 67% Difference: 36%
SD = 1 D = 2 N/A= 3 A = 4 SA = 5
Describe how this course has helped you with your career
development and the internship/job search process:
• I originally signed up for this class initially just to fill a credit and cannot
emphasize enough how useful this class will be/has been to my career
search.
• It taught me valuable skills for the job search process and gave me
confidence as I began my internship search. This course really got me
thinking about my future.
• This class has helped me so much in determining which career path I want
to take. I completely changed my decision from the start of the semester and I
am so happy about it.
• …I never imagined that the interviewing/job process was so complex. I did
not know how to go about finding a job, and I did not know how to
effectively prepare for an interview. I also do not feel as frightened of big
events like the Career Fair because I now know what to expect when I go.
Why does it matter?
• Our results are statistically significant
– The two-tailed P value equals 0.0011
(career exploration course data) The twotailed P value equals 0.0014 (career
planning course data)
• We believe that these results demonstrate
career courses are helping students meet the
student learning and development outcomes
• Our results show that career courses are
meeting their intended objective, such as
positively impact students’ major selection
and career readiness
Questions!
Comments!
Discussion!