Career pathways built on self-understanding

Spring is starting to make itself known in Blacksburg and I am so grateful for it! In my newsletters this spring, I have been excited to highlight some of the amazing people at Virginia Tech who are doing really important work with our students. I hope you can share what you learn with your student so that they make the most of their semester.

Last month, I introduced you all to Amy Epperley, a dear friend of mine and esteemed Senior Director for Hokie Wellness, for some sage advice about building positive emotional health and holistic well-being. She shared a few helpful tips to build sustainable self-care strategies and pointed out some fantastic resources for students.

This month I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Matthew Cowley, Associate Vice Provost for Career and Professional Development (CPD), who shared some exciting new resources to help students maximize their growth potential as they develop their career paths. He and his team have engaged in creative strategies to help students get ready for the world of work after Virginia Tech.

Career Pathways

As others have observed, the world of work is organized by industry, not by college majors. “The way I think of it,” Cowley joked, “is that some students majoring in Accounting might become accountants... but no students majoring in English will become Englishmen.”

To help students gain a deeper understanding of this, Career and Professional Development is using a destination-oriented approach to career preparation. Based on the 16 career clusters recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor, they have identified 12 Career Pathways, to guide students to think beyond their majors, and to discover connections to the workforce.

Dr. Cowley describes the Career Pathways program as an opportunity to “put the power in the hands of students to curate their own path toward a desired career destination.”

Virginia Tech Campus internEXP

You may have heard your student talk about getting an internship. One exciting program to share with your student is the Campus internEXP program. This program supports the university’s goal to increase experiential learning opportunities for students.

“This program allows Virginia Tech undergraduates the unique opportunity to access internships without ever leaving campus,” said Cowley. “We want students to take advantage of the variety of professionals on campus who have skills and experience in the areas that our students are interested in exploring.”

Campus internEXP develops students' career competencies by having them reflect on their intern experiences and connect them to classroom learning.

These internships are paid and offered during the fall, summer and spring - when a student is already on campus taking classes and paying living expenses.

• In order to apply for a position through the Campus InternExp program, students must first attend a synchronous or asynchronous information session. Students can register for a session on Handshake.
• Positions for Summer 2025 will be open for applications from March 19-April 7. Positions for Fall will be open for applications this summer.

VMock Career Acceleration Platform

“What some students might not know,” said Cowley, “is that many employers rely on AI and machine learning tools throughout the process of reviewing job applications.”

A review published by Forbes in October 2024 projects that nearly seven in 10 employers plan to use AI in the coming year to screen job applicants. According to one of Forbes’ Industry AI experts, Rachel Wells, “by now it’s a well-known fact that most companies and hiring managers employ the use of AI at some point in their hiring processes, especially when it comes to the proverbial ATS (applicant tracking systems) which can scan through candidate resumes and match them according to the skills and keywords the recruiter is looking for.”

According to Cowley, “Career and Professional Development is prepared to help students thrive in the job market by providing early access to technology tools like VMOCK.”

VMock Career Acceleration Platform is a supplemental tool for Virginia Tech students to assist with their professional presentation. VMock, powered by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, is available 24/7 and serves as a launching point to help students elevate their resumes, practice elevator pitches, and hone their interview skills.

Career insights with Steppingblocks and Vault

Career Insights with Steppingblocks and Vault provide Virginia Tech students access to comprehensive, guided platforms for career exploration, research, networking and professional development. These tools maximize data-driven decision making to empower students to explore a wide range of career opportunities tailored to their interests, skills, and goals.

When you talk to your students, I hope you will encourage them to take advantage of these fantastic resources offered through Career and Professional Development. Whether it’s through workshops, networking opportunities, online tools, or one-on-one career advising, these services are designed to help students succeed in their career journeys. Together, we can help our students build a network of experiences that will launch them toward career pathways built on self-understanding.