Career Strategies is a 6-8 hour self-paced online course that builds an internal career coach to guide life-long career decisions.
Many people think that career decisions are just about choosing a profession, like whether you should be a nurse, a teacher, a mechanic or a restaurant worker. But career decisions also happen as people earn promotions and grow skills.
Career Strategies gives a context and framework for thinking about career decisions, answering questions like:
Career Strategies speaks to a wide variety of people:
People ages 15-79 have found Career Strategies useful in considering their lives and work.
"I would recommend this course to everyone who is just getting started, and also to the people who are not happy in their current position. This program is extremely valuable to anyone... there are a ton of resources, examples, and relatable situations. There isn't a resource like Career Strategies out there where all of this information is in one place. This program is empowering and gives hope to all of us young people who are looking to build a future."
"Very detailed and explained very clearly. Though an online course it was interesting and held my interests and attention which encouraged me to continue to know I have worth. I have a master's degree living on poverty level wages; I know I have not yet reached my desired potential, but this course has inspired me in many ways how to use my assets and pursue my goals and perhaps reenter the field of career searching and building on the skills I have already acquired... I enjoyed every minute of it!"
For two waitresses doing the same work: for one it's a job, and for the other it's a career. The difference between a job and a career is how a person thinks about their work and where it's taking them over time. How do you think purposefully about short- and long-term needs and goals?
There are more types of assets than just financial ones. Career Assets include who you know, who respects you, your academic and job-specific skills, your honesty, your ability to learn new skills, and more. What assets do you have, and how can you build new ones?
Many people think that learning only happens in formal educational settings, but most learning actually takes place on the job. How do you find mentors, take advantage of opportunities to build skills, and bring a growth mindset to daily work tasks?
Education can be a key aspect career building, but if not chosen wisely, it can lead to large amounts of debt with little to show for it. What are the different types of training programs, and how do you find and choose colleges and training programs with good track recors
What employers care about most is performance on the job, which leads to promotions, an upward career trajectory, and greater job satisfaction. How can you reflect on your performance and improve?
What are the main factors for happiness in a career? How much money does one need to live on, and how much does one need to maximize happiness? What careers are good bets for the future? What is entrepreneurship?
Career Strategies includes links to curated, best-of-class free resources that students will be able to access throughout their careers, such as the Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Living Wage Calculator (MIT), the College Scorecard from the U.S. Department of Education, and CareerOneStop from the Department of Labor. Links to these resources are accompanied by instructions and suggestions on the best ways to use them.
Surveys taken after completing Career Strategies found the following:
I better understand how to build a career
93%
I better understand how to succeed at any job
92%
I better understand my educational options
90%
I feel more optimistic about my future
87%
I better understand my assets & how to improve them
93%
Career Strategies was relevant to my life
84%
I feel more capable of helping my friends make career choices
85%
Survey respondents ranged from high school to late career managers.
Career Strategies can be taken as a stand-alone course, interwoven with the CSM Course, or after the CSM Course is completed. See pricing information here.
equitable access
higher graduation rates
address math issues
community engagement
stop-out recovery
postsecondary access
apprenticeship
high school equivalency
career development
employer partnerships
performance upskilling
broaden, diversify pipeline
access to tuition assistance
higher engagement
culture transformation
community uplift
postsecondary access
employer engagement
equity
economic development
