Career Conversations in Academic Advising Settings

When a student asks, "What can I actually do with this major?" or "What do I do now that I didn't get into X, Y or Z program?" the stakes are high. These aren't just logistical questions; they are moments of high-pressure uncertainty.

As an academic advisor, you are sometimes the first person a student turns to when navigating their future. While you aren't a one-person career center, you are a critical partner in their journey.  This training is designed to sharpen your ability to turn those high-stress questions into powerful, insight-provoking conversations - conversations that can move students toward following up on a referral, making use of a resource, or engaging in more exploration and information gathering.  By pairing these conversations with rich referrals to career resources and the dedicated career services offices available to students, you can work as a team with your career services colleagues to provide holistic support to IU's students.

What You'll Learn

There are eight (8) short, dynamic modules in this training that focus on the following topics:  

• The Hidden Curriculum of Career Success
• The Value of Higher Education & Work-based Learning
• Personalizing Academic & Professional Goals
• Meeting Students Where They Are
• Using Career Milestones
• Referrals
• Documenting Conversations Related to Career
• Professional Development Resources

How It Works

This training is built for busy professionals.  Each module should take approximately 10-30 min. to complete, and you can move through the modules at your own pace.  You will be able to complete the entire series of modules in about 3-4 total hours.

In each module you'll explore the topic at hand through videos, downloadable tools for everyday professional use, quizzes and/or prompts for practical application. 

Engage with all eight modules, take the integrated quizzes, and share your thoughts in the Training Feedback Survey to earn your training certificate.

Need More Information

Contact either of your course instructors - Kate Goldstein or Emily McCord - in the Office of the Vice President for Student Success, Enrollment, and Institutional Effectiveness by emailing navigate@iu.edu.