Connecting Students & Employers from Day 1 through Industry Projects

Career Level: Intermediate career services, university relations and recruiting, and business affiliate professionals
Competency: Program/workshop design and delivery
Fee: $69 (member); $89 (nonmember);

Summary
NACE's Job Outlook 2023 highlights a gap between the top three competencies employers value and their rating of recent graduates. At the same time, first- and second-year undergraduates often struggle to find real-world experiences in which they can develop those career readiness competencies. Moreover, once they gain experience, they do not always know how to articulate competency proficiency to future employers.

To address these challenges, Northeastern University’s Employer Engagement and Career Design Office developed a pilot program for first- and second-year undergraduates called the Northeastern University Virtual Integrated Experiential Workshop (NU VIEW). NU VIEW offers students an opportunity to work on an industry challenge while simultaneously engaging in career development.

The program allows students to explore an industry and build meaningful connections with employers early in their undergraduate careers. As an interdisciplinary opportunity, students across the institution have an opportunity to come together to participate in cohorts. By the end of the month-long workshop, students have engaged in problem-solving, gained professional skills working on a presentation for an employer, collaborated with their peers, and practiced articulating these achievements in resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn, and more.

This presentation will provide an overview of the development and implementation of NU VIEW, integrating the employer and student experience. Presenters will share data-driven insights on the successes and challenges of year three of the pilot program (which includes a brand-new industry track) and explain their vision for the future expansion of the program. Attendees will leave with an understanding of how they can implement a similar program for their undergraduate populations.

Following this program, you will be able to:
- Learn best practices and receive advice on how to implement a similar pilot program for their own students;
- Learn how a scaffolded employer project can help first- and second-year students to develop and then practice articulating career readiness competencies; and
- Reflect on your own campus for programmatic fit and explore how data collection can help to measure impact and success.
Presenters

Emma Newcombe, Associate Director of PhD Programs, Northeastern University - College of Science
Emma Newcombe is the associate director of Ph.D. programs for the College of Science at Northeastern University. After earning a Ph.D. in American Studies from Boston University, she was a visiting assistant professor at Skidmore College before turning her focus toward higher ed administration and student service. Her love of one-on-one advising and developing workshops and programs for students brought her to Northeastern University, where she supports the career and professional development of graduate students.

Diana Ghattas-Antony, Assistant Director, Northeastern University - Office of Employer Engagement & Career Design
Diana Ghattas-Antony is a proud Northeastern alumna and a former Career Design intern. Her career path includes teaching, school counseling, and government. She found that career coaching aligned best with her desire to empower learners of all backgrounds through the process of lifelong learning, and she enjoys delivering innovative interdisciplinary programs. She completed a B.A. in political science at the University of Massachusetts Boston and a M.Ed. in higher education at Northeastern University. Her top strengths are achiever, developer, empathy, and responsibility.

Sumana Northover, Director, Talent Engagement, Northeastern University - Office of Employer Engagement & Career Design
As director of the employer engagement team at Northeastern University, Sumana Northover oversees talent acquisition programs, platforms, and strategies for expanding full time and internship pathways across Northeastern’s academic programs and colleges for early career learners. DEI recruiting is an area that she is passionate about in helping to build a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable workforce.

Lara Petersen, Associate Director, Talent Engagement, Northeastern University
As associate director for the employer engagement team at Northeastern University, Lara Petersen oversees the NU VIEW program, a four-week experiential course for first- and second-year students, as well as oversees the biannual, university-wide career fair Talent Connect. Before coming to Northeastern, she worked for an international exchange student program and spent three years working in Japan. She received her Master of Arts in applied linguistics from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and her Bachelor of Arts in international studies from Soka University of America.