OCP Shares Ways to Support Students’ Career Plans Now

Meredith’s Office of Career Planning (OCP) is listening and we know many students are feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about their career plans or professional development plans as the world responds to the pandemic. Here are some ways you can support students right now:

• Encourage students to embrace self-compassion. This is tough stuff.
• Help students channel their anxiety into productivity:
  • This is a great time for students to figure out How to Get a Last-Minute Internship,  Ace a Virtual Interview, or build a stellar LinkedIn profile
  • Connect with mentors, alumnae and other professionals in areas of interest. Learn about different careers and work environments. Meredith Mentors and LinkedIn are great tools to get started.
  • Encourage students to explore resources on the OCP MyMeredith page to discover careers, take a career assessment, create compelling professional documents, research organizations, and more.
• Brainstorm with students broad strategies about what experiences might be valuable or meaningful for them this summer. Though traditional internships may be more challenging to find, there are still many ways students can be taking steps toward their academic and career goals.
  • Build in-demand skills through free or low-cost online learning: edX, Canvas, LinkedIn Learning, and many companies are offering online, self-paced courses or certifications. For example, IBM is offering certificates in Data Science and AI.
  • Pursue a research topic of interest. Use the time to dive deep!
  • Volunteer. Many organizations and communities need support now and when they begin to re-open. Graduate schools and employers care about the experiences students have, not the title that they held. Consider how her professional skills might be useful in the community.
• Working with a student planning for graduate school? She might use this time to prepare for the GRE, GMAT or other entrance exam. Encourage her to draft a personal statement and schedule an appointment with a strengths coach to hone in on what makes them unique.

OCP staff are available for consult, please let us know how we can support you and your students. We will continue to communicate with you as economic and workforce trends evolve. Students can make appointments via Handshake.  Contact Us: career@meredith.edu  or 919-760-8341