Haverford strives to provide students opportunities to place in the best companies, organizations, and programs in the field of their choice. In 2013 Haverford restructured and reoriented the former Career Development Office to achieve greater alignment with the academic mission and a stronger commitment to engaging all constituencies who support students’ career aspirations. The new name reflects an intentional change in approach: the Center for Career and Professional Advising (CCPA) has already begun to help students think more strategically about how to “put all the pieces together” in order to position themselves for meaningful and rewarding lives after Haverford. These efforts are grounded in the belief that the skills, interests and self-awareness that students develop and synthesize while here at Haverford, from the very first year onward and through the totality of their coursework and activities, form the nucleus of an orientation to life and work that will be of lasting value, if appropriately nurtured, supported, and integrated.
To that end, the work of the CCPA will be deployed both more broadly (as a focal point for the larger conversation about education and employment and the role of liberal arts institutions in the global community) and more narrowly (by offering concrete resources such as workshops, guidance on self-presentation skills, and the encouragement of reflexive experiences that will contribute to students’ readiness for employment in a variety of areas). A critical aspect will be focused and sustained outreach to faculty, alumni, employers, agencies and other institutions, drawing in all members of the community as both resources for students and beneficiaries of CCPA programming. In concert with the initiatives outlined in Sections 2 and 3, another key goal is to establish the Center as a dynamic and visible locus for conversations about incorporating praxis, service learning and internship-based coursework into the curriculum.
Goals include:
- Build a career community. Help students think about a career trajectory; better integrate undergraduate education and career exploration.
- Increase professional development resources, programs, and advising. Provide opportunities for students to learn about career fields and to network with alumni and others, on campus and off. Expand resources and advising to help students identify and articulate their strengths and interests in professional settings.
- Increase access to externships and internships. Help students get into workplaces. Coordinate information about and access to opportunities from across campus departments.
- Develop a robust recruiting program. Ensure that employers are aware of Haverford and the strength of its students. Collaborate across TriCo on local recruiting events.
- Track alumni career trajectories. Improve the collection and analysis of information about students after graduation in order to inform practice and programs.