Andy Chan directs the Office of Personal and Career Development at Wake Forest U.Wake Forest U.
Cited by administrators at Carleton College and others as an exemplar, Wake Forest University’s Office of Personal and Career Development began in earnest in 2009, when the university’s president, Nathan O. Hatch, created a vice presidency to make career training for undergraduates a top priority.
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Andy Chan directs the Office of Personal and Career Development at Wake Forest U.Wake Forest U.
Cited by administrators at Carleton College and others as an exemplar, Wake Forest University’s Office of Personal and Career Development began in earnest in 2009, when the university’s president, Nathan O. Hatch, created a vice presidency to make career training for undergraduates a top priority.
Andy Chan, vice president for personal and career development since then, offers some pointers for colleges — public or private — looking to start comprehensive, campuswide career programs:
Create a leadership position that will oversee career programs. And make sure that the leader focuses on building a network of employers that will work with students both before and after they graduate.
Make sure you avoid letting each school at your college create a separate career program. “It’s important to have a uniform, campuswide program, so that you have one face to show to employers,” Mr. Chan says.
Have your career counselors create credit-bearing career courses. “Students can expect to have 20 jobs in their lifetimes,” he says. “They need to learn how to network, handle résumés, and do elevator pitches.”
Invite parents to be a part of networking efforts. “That will help you become a national network,” Mr. Chan says. “Many parents come forward to hire our students or give them some exposure to the work world. Our family engagement is regarded as the best in the country.”
Don’t be scared to raise money. Some colleges are featuring career-development efforts in their capital campaigns. “People are willing to put money into these programs if you go big,” Mr. Chan says. In the past eight years, Wake Forest has raised $20 million for entrepreneurship and career-development programs.
Correction (1/16/2018, 2:45 p.m.): This article originally misnamed the Wake Forest office that served as an exemplar to other universities. It is the Office of Personal and Career Development, not the Office of Career and Professional Development. The article has been updated to reflect this correction.
