CHART YOUR COURSE
The Professional Pathways courses are a key component of the Learning through Experiential and Applied Discovery (LEAD) curriculum. LEAD courses prepare students to successfully bridge from college to career, and are based on the career-readiness competencies identified by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
- LEAD 111: Career & Network Navigation I — Prepares students to identify specific values, interests, skills, abilities and areas of study relating to their future careers. Areas of focus include resume-building, communication and networking skills, and participation in career and networking events. Usually taken in fall of first year.
- LEAD 112: Career & Network Navigation II — Builds on the fundamentals of LEAD 111 to help students continue to grow in their career readiness. Areas of focus include alumni mentorship, interview skills, professional branding, and expanding awareness of career options. Usually taken in spring of first year.
- LEAD 211: The Honors College Externship — After completion of LEAD 111 and 112, students engage in an externship course that includes weekly classes and outside hands-on experiences. Designed and taught by subject matter experts, students participate in a variety of experiences to explore their professional interests.
- LEAD 311: Career & Network Navigation for Transfer Students (pilot program) — Combines elements of LEAD 111 and 112 to help transfer students grow in their career readiness.
LINKS TO KEY INFORMATION
In June 2023, the Professional Pathways program won the Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers (EACE) 2023 Excellence in Program Development & Innovation Award. This award honors outstanding program development in either recruiting or career services that can serve as a model program for others in the field to replicate. EACE represents over 200 colleges from the northern and mid-Atlantic regions.
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“Through this class [CORE104] I discovered that I am able to think on my feet relatively quickly and efficiently to cohesively respond to questions. The amount of practice that this class had with interviews definitely helped me develop this skill. This class has also taught me that one of the best ways to find out more about a job or major or position is by asking someone in your prospected position to find out more about what the position actually looks like.” -Brittany Thayer ’22, Economics major, Business Management minor
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“Honestly, I would have not thought much of what I do after college if I did not take this class. The first semester I did the bare minimum in the class and felt like I did not get much out of it. The second semester I thought I put much more effort in and feel like I will get a much better grade in the class, along with all of my other classes.” -Spencer Ralston ’22- undeclared
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“I believed that I was not doing a good job of advertising myself. This class helped greatly in this regard. While I was no stranger to interviews, the class did a great job refining my technique. More importantly, the class was extremely useful in relation to my resume, as well as presenting myself in the best manner. My original resume was a disaster, but the class gave me the proper tools to reorganise it. I do truly believe that this class may greatly influence my life’s career path.” -Frank Minges ’22, Biology major, Environmental Science minor
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“My personal experience in this class has been overall, very helpful. Most of the class periods I’ve been in were incredibly informative, especially for the interview process. Coming into this class, I had no idea what to say or do during the interview process. After learning about keywords, body language, and the STAR method, I was able to learn exactly what I should be doing in an interview setting. I’m much more confident in general about the whole thing and shouldn’t have to worry nearly as much about going in for a job interview in the future.” -Aiden Briancon ’22, History major, French minor
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“Throughout this course, I have built on numerous skills and gained insight on skills that I have that I was previously not aware of. Coming into this course, I had an idea that I wanted to become a teacher but I was not aware of some of my top skills. I learned in the skills finder that my top skill is harmony which will be great in the field of teaching. I also have become more aware of my responsibility and work ethic throughout the course of taking this class…The most impactful part of this course was the mock interviews. The interviews allowed me to polish my skills in an interview and made me feel more confident. Before entering the course, I was nervous in an interview scenario and did not feel completely prepared. However, now I am extremely prepared and feel as if I am ready to have a successful interview in the future.” -Devin Garner ’21, English major, Education Studies minor
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“The most impactful part of this course was the mock interviews. The interviews allowed me to polish my skills in an interview and made me feel more confident. Before entering the course, I was nervous in an interview scenario and did not feel completely prepared. However, now I am extremely prepared and feel as if I am ready to have a successful interview in the future.” -Emma McNesby ’22, Math and Chemistry double major, French minor
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“Largely, this class (CORE104) and the previous one (CORE103) helped me to employ confidence in applying and interviewing for jobs which have overall encouraged me to try for jobs and internships that I see.” -Katie Riesner ’22, Chemistry major, Biology minor
