The Center for Career Development supports Bridgewater College students as they prepare for a successful transition from college to the next phase of their professional growth. In addition, we help students understand (and communicate to employers) how their liberal arts education has prepared them for their future.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
All Career Development events and workshops are listed on our Calendar of Events. Please encourage students to register for the programs that interest them (registration links are included in each event description). The calendar is updated in advance of each semester so BC Faculty can list calendar links within Canvas and course syllabi. All credited 480X Workshops are listed on the Calendar of Events.
CAREER RESOURCE LIBRARY
The Center for Career Development has created an Career Resource Library with sample resumes, sample cover letters, interview prep guides, and other useful career and professional development resources.
FACULTY GUIDE TO CAREER ADVISING
The Career Advising: Faculty Guide includes a suggested 4-Year Career Planning Timeline and links to career resources that faculty may find useful in supporting students during various stages of their professional development.
FACULTY GUIDE TO USING BIG INTERVIEW
The Big Interview: Faculty Guide provides additional information and suggestions on how to access and utilize the Big Interview mock interview platform, an online system that combines training and practice to improve interview technique and confidence.
STUDENT APPOINTMENTS WITH THE CCD STAFF MEMBER
Students can schedule individual appointments with Career Development staff using the Penji app and Handshake.
How BC Faculty and Staff Can Help Students:
Encourage students to make appointments with Center for Career Development staff:
- One-on-one career coaching
- Assistance in deciding on a major
- Support in creating a four-year career action plan
- Resume and cover letter reviews
- Interview preparation
Promote our online Events Calendar and upcoming career fairs, networking opportunities, and other CCD events (and encourage students to attend):
- Individualized appointments (see above)
- Career and grad school fairs
- Professional development workshops and networking opportunities
Choosing A Major:
Students often turn to their professors and faculty advisors for advice. Here are some resources that will assist students in connecting their personal interests with their professional goals:
Internships, Jobs, and Study Abroad Experiences
- Recommend that students participate in opportunities such as summer internships, jobs, and study abroad to enhance their marketability.
- Encourage students to create a profile on Handshake to access events and the OCS calendar, and to find job and internship opportunities.
- Remind students to have their resume and cover letter reviewed before applying to jobs or internships. Here are some resources that will help students to develop and format their professional documents: Career Development Resource Library.
- Share information you receive about internships and job opportunities with CCD and we will include it in our biweekly email newsletter to BC students, Career Connections.
Career-Readiness in the Classroom
- Don’t cancel class! Invite CCD staff to facilitate a career services program tailored to your class. Contact our office to learn more and schedule a presentation.
- Contact the Center for Career Development if you are interested in having an employer speak to your class.
- Review NACE Competencies for Career Readiness, the skills students need to be successful professionals.
- Invite us to your departmental meetings to share information about industry trends in your disciplines.
Sample Class Assignment
- Review the NACE competencies, have students inventory their career readiness skills, and develop the story of how they were attained and how they will be of benefit to the student toward career development.
- Have your students reflect on these skills as a group and discuss how they can attain and improve these skills through campus engagement, part-time jobs, internships, and other experiential learning.
- Continue group discussion regarding a student’s unique skill sets and how they will talk about them in interviews for jobs, internships, and graduate school.
CCD Events and Networking Opportunities:
- Create opportunities for your students to receive extra credit for attending Center for Career Development events that give them insight into how what they are doing in class helps them prepare for their future.
- Promote our online Events Calendar and upcoming career fairs, networking opportunities, and other CCD events (and encourage students to attend)
Student Employment for Supervisors:
- Review the NACE Faculty Guide to Ethical and Legal Standards in Student Employment.
- Review NACE Competencies for Career Readiness, the skills students need to be successful professionals.
- Share information you receive about available on-campus internships and job opportunities with CCD and we will include it in our biweekly email newsletter to BC students, Career Connections.
