UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State students hoping to learn how to market their skills and experiences for future jobs can enroll in the course LA 103: Professional Development for the Liberal Arts Student.
The course was created by the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network to teach students the techniques and information necessary to specify and implement post-graduation educational and career plans. Through the course, students learn how to effectively transition from college to the workplace by using the knowledge and competencies gained in the classroom to inform career decision making.
Sean Moran, a 2020 psychology alumnus, took LA 103 as a student.
“When I took the class, I thought I already had my postgraduate life figured out,” Moran said. “I already had a job lined up, but the way I looked at the class was that those were life skills that I could learn and life could change. I could change what I do, so I took it seriously.”
Moran said the skills he learned in LA 103 came in handy when he decided to switch career paths six months after graduating. He now works at State Farm.
“Thankfully I paid attention in that class because it really came in handy,” Moran said.
Aashna Dhawan is another 2020 psychology graduate who took LA 103 as a student. Dhawan, who was an international student from Dubai, said the class helped her think about what would come next after graduation. She really enjoyed hearing from the various speakers that would come into the class to share their experiences.
“They all had liberal arts backgrounds and were Penn State alumni, so it was awesome to be able to connect and see the different paths that I could take in my career,” Dhawan said. “The class, the curriculum, the networking opportunities and the guidance from Lauren [Granese, the course instructor,] helped me find what I wanted to do.”
After graduating, Dhawan got a job as a technical recruiter for Microsoft.
In addition to bringing in alumni speakers, LA 103 is structured to help students first understand their strengths. Students complete CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) to discover and understand their strengths and talents. The assessment lets students know their “top five” signature themes and the meaning of each of them. Through the course, students are driven to understand their top competencies and what makes them valuable to an employer. They write a reflection on their strengths and meet with a career coach in the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network to discuss their results and how to apply them in the job application and interviewing process.
“It was introspective, and now I know what my strengths are,” said Cory Wootten, a fourth-year communication arts and sciences major who is currently taking the class. “It challenges you in how to use it [the strengths], how to improve on it, and how to make sure I implement this in my interviewing process. Those are things I didn’t think I would be doing coming into it.”
The class also helps to build the students’ resumes. The process involves multiple reviews, career coaching meetings and peer mentoring to improve the writing and formatting. The class also teaches students how to write cover letters and helps them tailor each cover letter to each specific job.
“Cover letters can be the most tedious part of applying to jobs, and the class has given me a template,” said Ryan Couch, a third-year English major who hopes to work in publishing. “It has given me a lot to think about regarding how I can put myself into a page because it’s difficult to try to condense everything you have ever done into a page.”
To help prepare for interviews, students in the class practice through mock interviews and reflections on how to improve their conversational skills. And, finally, the class teaches students the importance of networking and how to connect to people in their desired career field. Through the networking skills, students are encouraged to reach out to possible mentors and recruiters.
“There were guest speakers from different companies, and they explained their procedure going through the job application process,” said Lauren Lopez, a fourth-year global and international studies major. “They explained what to put in the resumes, which I thought was very beneficial because you could see it through a recruiter’s perspective and things that certain jobs look for.”
Through guest speakers and events, students are also exposed to new ideas, possible career paths, and the specifics of job applications. Some of the events also allowed students to practice their networking skills with alumni and recruiters.
Wootten, who will graduate this semester and has been applying and interviewing for full-time positions, recently accepted a job with Capital One in the company's management program. Wootten said the guest speakers in LA 103 helped him with his negotiation skills.
“Just a few weeks ago, just before I got my position, one of the speakers talked about negotiating your offer,” Wootten said. “That was such a blessing because I was able to take that information and apply into my next round of interviews. I was able to negotiate my salary and was able to boost it up a little bit.”
Lauren Granese, student and alumni relations coordinator in the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network, is the instructor for the course this semester.
“LA 103 is a wonderful opportunity for students to better understand how to seek and gain meaningful career opportunities, while also increase self-awareness of their values and strengths as related to their career goals,” Granese said.
“I love teaching this class because deciding what to do after Penn State is something that every student has to work through; it’s such a privilege to guide students through this process in a classroom setting while they learn from peers experiencing similar thoughts, challenges and achievements.”
Students interested in taking LA 103 in the fall can register now in LionPATH. Two sections will be offered: section 001 from 4:35–5:50 p.m. on Tuesdays in 114 Keller Building and section 002 from 12:20–1:35 p.m. on Wednesdays in 120 Moore Building.
Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network
The Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network is a resource for Liberal Arts students seeking opportunities to engage in career-related, international and professional development activities. Students can meet with a career coach to discuss internships, education abroad, research, the Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program and more. Through donor support, the Career Enrichment Network is able to provide Liberal Arts students with funding to participate in many of these experiences.