Page 39 - 2024 May report

GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY FINAL REPORT (8)
The only times that I really went to them [career services] for help – which wasn’t very often – it was mostly for questions on, what the landscape of my degree looked like ... But if I did need other things, they definitely had the services or options available for me.
However, not all participants were fully aware of activities offered by the career services office. As a result, those students may not have been taking full advantage of the support, guidance, and opportunities offered by the career services office. For example, one graduate felt they had missed out on opportunities due to a lack of awareness about career services:
I didn’t really know what services to reach out to. I think I was just so used to figuring it out on my own, that I didn’t look for services, which I should have. I feel like it would have been beneficial.
Another current student indicated that they did not know if their university had a career services office, stating, “I don’t even know that [university] has one.”
Whether they accessed services offered by the career services office or not, interviewed participants highlighted the benefit of using networking resources to find career opportunities. The networking platform Handshake, in particular, was often identified as being recommended by career services offices at participants’ institutions. However, other networking platforms tended to be recommended by their peers (e.g., LinkedIn). Regardless of who recommended the platform, participants tended to identify these sites as instrumental in connecting them with employment or internship opportunities. As one graduate stated, “I would advocate heavily [for leveraging] resources, such as networking with recruiters. LinkedIn, I would say [is] pretty great. And Handshake. Handshake did get me my first IT job.”
While career services played a role in some participants’ career development, graduates and current students also identified several experiences outside of career services that they felt contributed to their employment preparation. Specifically, several graduates and current students described how engaging in student organizations helped them improve their leadership skills, which contributed to their employment preparation. For example, one current student stated that they were engaged in several student organizations, which benefited them personally and professionally. They shared, “I’ve been pretty involved on campus, I would say, which has helped develop a lot of leadership skills for sure.”
In addition to developing leadership skills through student organizations, a couple of participants also described how volunteer opportunities supported their developing career awareness. For example, one graduate noted that they had a chance to help other students by volunteering in the disability service office, which supported the realization that they would like to work in a helping profession. They explained, “Eventually, I started doing volunteer work for the [disability services office]. And it was then [that I] did a lot of talking and helping with a lot of students that were in that kind of area.” This volunteer opportunity helped them discover an interest in social services and disability, which is a career pathway they continued to explore.
Regardless of the type of career development activities participants engaged in while on campus, participants highlighted a perceived gap between the career development activities provided by their institutions and the specific interests or needs of the graduates and students themselves. For example, one current student mentioned that they received some information regarding career activities on campus; however, the activities did not match their needs. They shared, “They’re sending email blasts, like resume building exercises, or companies that are coming on campus, but nothing has really been the scope of what I want.”
Education / A Powerful force for change Page 37