Student Learning Outcomes:
Expanding Your Job Search Skills
Workshop
Anne Poduska, PhD
Graduate & International Student Career Advisor
Cornell Career Services, Barnes Hall
ap284@cornell.edu
My Role
Target populations:
Graduate students
interested in
careers outside of
academia
International
students
(undergrad & grad)
Students interested
in an international
career
(undergrad & grad)
Activities:
Advise
students
individualy
Deliver
programs and
workshops
Develop and
advertise
resources
Collaborate
with campus
partners
Career Development Model
Expanding Your Job Search Skills Workshop
Program Goal:
Graduate students and postdoctoral
researchers will understand:
• The three-step career
development process
• The resources available to them
that support their interest in a
career outside of academia
Attendees:
70 PhD students and postdocs
Expanding Your Job Search Skills Workshop
Overview of Model
• The Job Search as a
Research Project
Understand Yourself
• Skills and Job Ad Analysis
Explore Options
• Job-Search Resources
• Networking
Take Action
• Resumes and Cover Letters
• Interviewing
Collaborators
Cornell Career Services (Barnes Hall)
• Leslie Kurtz
• Sheri Mahaney
• Emily McFarland
• Anne Poduska
• Rebecca Sparrow
Office of Postdoctoral Studies
• Christine Holmes
Graduate School’s Office of
Inclusion and Student
Engagement
• Cindy Grey
Cooperative Education & Career Services,
Alumni Speakers
College of Engineering
• Doug Calby
• Mary Ellen Buhl
• Mary O’Connell
• Kimberlee Swartz
• Cynthia Todd
With support from:
The Graduate School’s Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement
Assessment Approach
• Distribute pre- and post-workshop survey
• Open-ended responses
• Likert scale
• Identify changes in responses (individually, group)
• Review open-ended comments
SAS Learning Outcomes Working Group
Opportunity to:
• Tie in workshop with CCS and SAS learning outcomes
• Develop learning outcomes for program
• Modify survey questions
Making Learning Outcomes
Connections
Student and Academic Services Learning Outcomes
Affinity for
Cornell
Engaged
Intelligence
Interpersonal
Competencie
s
Personal
Health & Dev.
Making Learning Outcomes
Connections
Student and Academic Services Learning Outcomes
Personal
Health & Dev.
• Be able to navigate challenges and adversity
• Develop meaningful philosophy of life
Making Learning Outcomes
Connections
Student and Academic Services Learning Outcomes
Personal
Health & Dev.
Cornell Career Services Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to name their strengths (skills and
abilities) and communicate with confidence about them.
Program’s Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to identify at least two transferable
skills and how they can present them in oral and written
form.
Assessment Questions for Learning
Outcomes
Questions 1, 3-7,
Making Learning Outcomes
Connections
Student and Academic Services Learning Outcomes
Personal
Health & Dev.
Program’s Learning Outcomes
36% increase
Questions 1, 3-7,
Making Learning Outcomes
Connections
Student and Academic Services Learning Outcomes
Affinity for
Cornell
50%
increase
Engaged
Intelligence
56%
increase
Interpersonal
Competencie
s
Personal
Health & Dev.
61%
increase
36%
increase
Program’s Learning Outcomes
Creating Learning Outcomes,
Modifying Survey Questions
• Developed 1-3 questions per presentation to assess learning
outcomes
• Shifted focus of questions to:
• Emphasize understanding and knowledge
• Probe knowledge of specific resources or concepts
Benefits of Learning Outcomes and Assessment
1. Have more granular data on specific aspects of the program:
Previous survey:
Asked about general knowledge of resources: + 41%
Modified survey:
Ask about knowledge of specific resources:
CCNet + 42%
LinkedIn +32%
Hoovers +144%
2. Provide well-defined focus for program
Benefits of Learning Outcomes and Assessment
3. Made informed modifications:
• Invite alumni speakers: know what employers want when
interviewing
• Limit program to just PhD and postdocs
• Streamline program
Lessons Learned
• Collaborate with others
• Use existing frameworks
• Be specific and concrete
• Consult resources:
Learning Outcomes Assessment Step-by-Step: Enhancing
Evidence-Based Practice in Career Services by Julia Panke
Makela and Gail S. Rooney
What Are Your Questions?