This story appeared in the Fall 2022 Letters & Science magazine.
It took time—five years, to be exact. It took digging deep into barriers for engagement. It took a re-brand and a cool new space. It took dedicated donors, support from university leaders and a crew of committed, highly trained staff on the ground. It took a whole lot of faith. But beyond a shadow of a doubt, SuccessWorks has profoundly changed the way this university prepares its liberal arts students for life after college. In the process, it’s convincing thousands of undergraduates, many of whom may have been too intimidated to engage with a career counselor, that planning your future can actually be a lot of fun.
Breaking the Mold
Historically, career services for liberal arts students targeted second-semester seniors looking for help with polishing their resumés. SuccessWorks aimed to transform that tired model by encouraging students to connect from the moment they set foot on campus. “We tell them, you don’t have to have the next 20 years figured out,” says interim director Angie White. “Just the next 20 minutes.” Once they’re through the door, opportunities abound, including advisor meetings, mock interviews, alumni networking, specialized career fairs, resumé clinics, even wardrobe upgrades via a donor-sponsored “Career Closet.”
Of note: The word “career” doesn’t appear in branding taglines or the center’s name. “Our market research showed that students found the word intimidating,” White says. With a friendlier brand, SuccessWorks aimed to draw in more students who could really use the help—rather than simply “check a box” for the ultra-motivated few. Another innovation: career communities, which allow students to gravitate toward a specific area (say, government/nonprofit or tech/data analytics) and find out more. SuccessWorks now offers eight career communities.
“When I was doing this work 20 years ago, we tended to see just the students who had it figured out,” White notes. “We see a lot more students now who say, ‘I don’t have any idea what I want to do.’ We aim to make them more comfortable about seeking help with planning.”
Activating Alumni
L&S alumni are critical to students’ success. Five years ago, alumni were knocking at SuccessWorks’ door, wanting to help, but there were few ways to plug them in. Today, any L&S student who wants to connect with an alumni mentor through an event, career course or online connection has that opportunity. New programs and opportunities meet alumni where they are, says Mike Kruse, SuccessWorks’ alumni relations director. “We connect students with mentors based on their career or industry interests, their major, or various aspects of their identities,” he says. L&S alumni, all liberal arts majors themselves, know what it’s like to have chosen a major that doesn’t offer a linear career path, White points out. They’re more than willing to share insights, expertise and contacts, and to help students learn to network and set goals.
Last year, more than 630 alumni participated in SuccessWorks’ programs—speaking in classrooms, meeting with students online or in person, offering informational interviews, and more.
Engaging Employers
Thanks to SuccessWorks’ intentional relationship-building with employers, students now have multiple opportunities to network at career fairs, meet recruiters, sign up for mock interviews and more. The employer relations team tracks which companies tend to hire L&S students and gets in touch to invite them to campus. “We aren’t waiting around for employers to come to us,” says White. In addition to helping campus run the two major career fairs in spring and fall, SuccessWorks now hosts multiple specialty career fairs, such as the Equity/Inclusion Career Fair, the Multicultural Internship Fair, the Tech, Data & Analytics Career Fair, and more. During the pandemic, the team pivoted to offer its first-ever virtual career fairs, now an ongoing option.
Students are also engaging with employers through SuccessWorks’ networking events, job shadows across the country and funded internship programs. Last year, 334 employers engaged with students—compared with just four the year before SuccessWorks was launched. Even the marketing approach plays a role. “We work to convince students that spending time with employers is exciting and inspiring, not scary!” says communications director Nathan Barker.
Classroom Connection
Three career-prep courses have been developed over the last five years, offering students a chance to earn credit while learning to define and articulate their skills and plan their path after college. Those classes—all popular with students—offer opportunities for employers and alumni to speak on panels or directly with students. In a new twist, SuccessWorks is working directly with all L&S departments—from anthropology to Spanish & Portuguese and everything in between—to share what they know about career outcomes for their graduates. Skills sheets, developed in tandem with departments, are shared with students as a way to help them form an awareness of how the skills they’re developing now can translate to a career path.
An innovation that’s proved to be wildly popular with students: non-credit career prep courses developed in CANVAS, the online learning platform. “Students love this option, because they can take it on their own time,” says White. The most popular, Jobs, Internships and How to Get Them, drew more than 4,500 students when it was rolled out last year. Meeting students where they are is a critical part of SuccessWorks’ winning approach.
Reaching All Students
The first year SuccessWorks opened its doors, it served around 3,000 L&S students (out of more than 14,000). Last year, as the college welcomed its largest class yet of more than 18,000 students, SuccessWorks reached 16,800 students, 25% of whom were from underrepresented backgrounds, and 59% were first- and second-year students.
There’s more work to do. White and her team are intentional about increasing outreach to underrepresented students, and while they’re proud of serving so many students, the goal is to close the gap and serve them all. A larger mix of offerings, many of them with a virtual option (which vastly improves engagement), and targeted outreach messaging are all making a difference.
“There’s not just one way to access SuccessWorks,” White says. “We are adapting to what we know works for students.”
