November is National Career Development Month

As we enter the month of November, the HSC Career Readiness Center joins the National Career Development Association (NCDA) in recognizing the importance career development through the annual celebration of “National Career Development Month.” As members of the professional community, and part of the human experience in earning a living, the career development process is a significant lifelong endeavor. For all of us, our chosen profession and the trajectory through which we pursue it helps us to define “who we are” and plays a major role in determining our enduing quality of life.

At the HSC, we have identified six Career Readiness Skills (aka, “Marketable Skills”) that are universally valued by employers and can be applied in a variety of work and other professional settings. A truly robust professional career development plan includes much more than just academic accomplishments and technical acumen. Therefore, the Career Readiness Center encourages all students to take some time to reflect and consider your own plan and to explore the various dimensions of Career Readiness.

Yes, circumstances have not been “typical” over the last year-and-a-half (to say the least) for participation in more traditional, in-person career development experiences. So what can students do to continue developing Career Readiness skills? There are numerous self-directed, “virtual-friendly” as well as in-person activities that are always available, including:

Create a strategic job search plan, with specific objectives and key results with an established timeline
• Update your CV or resume
• Develop your LinkedIn page
• Pursue a Microcredential: https://www.unthsc.edu/students/career-readiness/using-portfolium-for-microcredentials/
• Set up “informational interviews” with professionals in your discipline as well as other related professions
• Initiate a focused, discipline-specific job search: https://unthscconnect.com/jobs
• Practice interview question in Big Interview/Big Interview Medical: https://www.unthsc.edu/career-center/interviewing/
• Browse the Professional Attire Resource Closet inventory (online or in-person): https://www.unthsc.edu/career-center/professional-attire-resource-closet/
• Get involved in intercultural and interprofessional education activities and organizations
• …and so much more!

For more assistance in developing your personal career development plan and refining your Career Readiness skills, including scheduling an advising appointment, visit the HSC Career Readiness Center at https://www.unthsc.edu/career-center/ or contact us at careercenter@unthsc.edu.

Be on the lookout for National Career Development Week programming coming up November 15-19 as we celebrate “The Colorful Tapestry of Career Development!”