Career Faculty and Staff Resources

Potential Assignments 

Below are recommended assignments that can be used with students in any discipline and any stage in their college experience.  These assignments are meant to assist in the career exploration process and guide students in how to properly utilize their time in a Career Fair!

Assignment A – Test Drive a Career Path, option 1

Student Task:

• Attend a job fair or Career EXPO 
• Choose one company that is of interest to you and talk with a representative.
  • Information about each of the attending organizations for fairs can be found in Handshake
  • Be sure to thank the recruiter for his/her time and ask for a business card
• Write a report about the fair and the company. Make sure that the following information is covered:
  • How many companies/agencies are attending this fair?
  • What type of company or position interests you at this fair?
  • Choose one organization and answer the following questions:
    • Company Name
    • What are some of the key facts about this company?
    • What majors are they seeking at this event?
    • How many openings do they anticipate this year?
    • What characteristics and qualities do they seek in competitive candidates?
    • What methods do they use to identify qualified candidates?
  • Write a paragraph on your impression of this company
  • Write a paragraph on your impression of this career/job fair
• Attach the recruiter’s business card

Grading Criteria:

• Quality of overview of Job Fair/EXPO and of analysis of the particular company
• Readability
  • Correct grammar and spelling, good use of style, and clear sentences with no confusing passages

Assignment B – Test Drive a Career Path, option 2

Student Task:

• Conduct an Informational Interview 
• Choose a company or career path that is of interest to you and schedule an appointment to visit with a representative.
• Use the questions on the informational interview page linked above to guide the conversation.

Grading Criteria:

• Ask for a reflection paper on the time spent, questions asked/answered and the student's overall impression of the particular company
• Readability - ensure that students use correct grammar and spelling, good use of style, and clear sentences with no confusing passages.

Career Fair Assignment C - Attend a Fair/Career EXPO

Visit Handshake and choose at least 2 employers registered for the career fair/EXPO that you would be interested in learning more about or are interested in.  

Before the fair, answer the following questions about each employer you choose:

• What does this employer do? Products they produce? Services they offer?
• What kinds of skills is this employer looking for a potential employee/intern to have?
• What is this employer looking for - full time employees, interns, etc.?
• What are questions you have for the employer? 

During the fair, talk with the employers you researched as well as others.

• Ask the employers questions that you had from your research

Reflection:

• From doing this assignment, what is one thing that surprised you about this research? What did you learn about the companies you interacted with?
• Are there employers you interacted with that you want to continue to develop relationships with, apply to jobs with, etc.?
• What are the next steps?
• What do you wish you’d known or do before the Career Fair?

Thank you’s

• Write appropriate thank you notes and complete appropriate follow-up for the employers you interacted with. 

Career Fair Assignment D – Prepare for the Fair Networking Night

Student Task:

• Student Task:

  • Require that the student(s) attend a Networking Night hosted by Career Services the night before the EXPOs - note these are three-hour come and stay events.
  • Students are asked to register in Handshake since we provide a light meal and dessert to all participants. 
  • The entire evening is devoted to providing students with the tools and skills they need to be successful at the next day's career fair.
  • The format is business casual and involves some small group interaction as well as listening to panels consisting of students, alumni, and employers discuss important career-related topics such as how to work a career fair, interviewing tips, and so on.

  Grading Criteria:

  • Career Services can provide you documentation that the student swiped in.
  • Some faculty request a reflection paper from the student on their experience. 
  • Determine the points that will be awarded for participation. Some faculty use the points as extra credit, a quiz score or points as a stand-alone assignment. 

Assignment E – Develop an Elevator Pitch

Student Task:

• Key to successful job searches and especially at a job fair or networking event is the delivery of an effective elevator pitch.
• Require that the student(s) develop their speech/commercial that answers the question, “Tell me about yourself” after exploring the tips offered in the Career Services interviewing workshop.
• To take this assignment to the next level, have the student submit their speech/commercial in a written format as well as a video of themselves reciting the content.  
• You can add more depth to the assignment by having the students also answer the following:
  1. Why should I hire you?
  2. Why are you qualified for this job?
  3. Why do you want this job?

Grading Criteria:

• Did the student hit on the major points needed for their “Tell me about yourself” speech/commercial?
  • Background (education and/or how you began in the world of work)
  • Skills, strengths and accomplishments
  • Job focus and future career plans

• Determine the points that will be awarded. Some faculty use the points as extra credit, a quiz score or points as a stand-alone assignment. 

Assignment F - YouScience Aptitudes and Interest Assessment

Student Task:

• When it comes to career exploration, knowing yourself can be your best asset in advocating for yourself and your future.
• Require that the student(s) take the YouScience Aptitudes and Interest Assessment (all 11 brain games are required to see their results).
• You can add more depth to the assignment by having the students sign up for a YouScience Exploration and Follow Up appointment and answer the following:
  1. What did you find within your results?
  2. What career matches stood out to you?
  3. Did taking this assessment change your perspective on your major and/or future career path?
  4. What are you going to do next based on your results?

Grading Criteria:

• Did the student complete all 11 brain games? 
• If required, did they attend an appointment to go over their results?
• Determine the points that will be awarded. Some faculty use the points as extra credit, a quiz score or points as a stand-alone assignment. 

We know that many students seek the assistance of those they trust, their faculty and staff, for help with career-related issues. Feel free to refer them to us, or use these resources for guidance.

Helping a student:

• Choose a major
• Find a job
• Identify potential internships
• Write a resume
• Learn more about interviewing
• Evaluate a resume
• Practice for an interview
• Connect with employers
• Develop/Update their LinkedIn profile

Marketable Skills

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the eight marketable skills listed below are essential in nearly every role students apply for. These skills add tremendous value to graduating college students as they enter the workforce and can be the difference between them and another finalist.

As a supervisor, you have the ability to help students identify ways in which they are gaining these skills in their current roles. We can also help students find ways to articulate these necessary skills in our Skills That Pay Bills workshop series.

• Career and Self-Development
• Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Leadership
• Professionalism
• Teamwork
• Technology