Meredith’s Office of Career Planning (OCP) has been using online modules developed by the Instructional Design and Academic Technology team to extend the reach of their office to provide students with resume and interviewing skills. We talked to the OCP’s Katie Peterssen to learn more.
Why did OCP decide to do these modules?
Peterssen: OCP is fortunate to partner with many faculty on campus to educate and prepare students to be career ready. Our instruction time is limited and we found ourselves frequently focusing on resume building basics and foundational interviewing skills. Counselors consistently felt the desire to engage in more advanced topics or explore students’ individual questions but lacked the time to do so. The modules were designed to cover our most in-demand content areas and serve as a foundation for workshops that we frequently present.
Click here to view the Resumes skills module.
Like many offices on our campus, the demand for services outpaces the resources that OCP currently has. By making these modules available on the My Meredith portal, students can access these training resources at their convenience. If students are not able to get in to see a counselor, they still have access to some quality resources to get them started.
What has been the outcome?
Peterssen: The modules were launched fully in spring 2018 and have been used as pre-workshop assignments for classes in business, family and consumer science, computer science, and more. We’ve had more than 175 students use the modules over the past year and we anticipate continuing to expand their use in 2019. These modules have allowed career counselors to focus on creating interactive exercises for the classroom that encourage critical thinking, challenge students to articulate their skills and experiences, and respond to the unique needs of each student group. In short, the modules have provided the necessary foundation to focus on deeper learning and professional preparation.
Click here to view the Interview skills module.
“Like many offices on our campus, the demand for services outpaces the resources that OCP currently has. By making these modules available on the MyMeredith portal, students can access these training resources at their convenience. If students are not able to get in to see a counselor, they still have access to some quality resources to get them started.”
Katie Peterssen, Meredith OCP
Peterssen: Paul Keys and the instructional design team were instrumental in creating these modules. While I fancy myself to be tech-savvy, I had no experience creating an interactive module like these. Paul helped me to clarify my vision, deftly took the content I wrote and crafted it into a learning experience for students.
One unique piece of our modules are the embedded employer video clips. Paul took the time to record interviews with employers who recruit college students at multiple OCP events. These interviews produced video clips with professionals from companies including SAS, the Girl Scouts, Target, Enterprise and Northwestern Mutual, which are incorporated throughout the modules.
Clips like these keep the content engaging and help to remind students that the skills they are learning are preparing them to be career ready.