Career Treks event highlights public professions
School of Education students networked in Raleigh with representatives from 11 state agencies.
Career Treks, a University Career Services initiative, provides students with invaluable opportunities to engage with companies and alumni outside the University. The events are often collaborative endeavors involving academic departments and schools at Carolina.
A recent example was a March 6 networking event at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh, done in partnership with the N.C. Office of State Human Resources. Nearly 30 students from the UNC School of Education’s Human and Organizational Leadership Development program met with professionals from more than 10 state agencies.
Each student engaged in conversations about the agency’s operations, learned about career pathways in their organization and industry, and learned how to apply the knowledge and skills gained from HOLD courses to pursue internships and post-graduate roles effectively.
“A key feature of our program is bridging classroom learning with real-world applications, often through guest speakers, leadership panels and case studies,” said Jemilia Davis, HOLD program director. “Our Career Treks elevates this commitment. There was a unique buzz in the room where students were getting a new sense of confidence that HOLD was preparing them for so many different careers. I am grateful to our state government colleagues and UCS for helping us to make this happen.”
The event was hosted by Ed2NC, a collaborative effort between OSHR and the N.C. Office of Strategic Partnerships. The collaboration is committed to bringing together leaders in state government and higher education partners to create a pipeline of talent by connecting students and recent graduates with career opportunities in state government.
Students connected with representatives from the state departments of administration, environmental quality, health and human services, information technology, justice, natural and cultural resources, public safety, and transportation. Representatives from the N.C. General Assembly, Office of the Commissioner of Banks and Office of Human Resources also attended.
“Each of us plays a crucial role in contributing to improving the lives of North Carolinians in various ways,” said moderator Andrea Bennett, OSHR talent acquisition consultant and coordinator for Ed2NC. “Together, we form a collective force striving to benefit our state.”
This year marks the third time HOLD has partnered with University Career Services to provide students with invaluable career exploration and recruitment prospects. Last spring, a group of HOLD students ventured on the program’s first Career Treks field trip to Kelaca, a talent acquisition and advisory firm, and Mako Medical, a healthcare diagnostic laboratory, both in the Raleigh-Durham area.
“These collaborative ventures with schools, units, and organizations on campus play a pivotal role in propelling students toward achieving their goals,” said Kelsey Williams, interim associate director of external relations, marketing, and analytics and assistant director of internships and experiential learning in University Career Services. “Employers consistently emphasize the importance of students having practical work experience or involvement in extracurricular activities. Events like the Career Trek serve as direct networking platforms, where eager employers interact with Carolina’s talented pool of students, paving the way for internships, part-time jobs, job shadowing experiences, and more.”
Roxanne Dudley, a HOLD sophomore, was particularly interested in this look at state government careers. “There are all of these agencies that are relevant to HOLD, and we can fit ourselves within them and apply what we learn to jobs in different state departments,” she said.
To Davis, initiatives such as Career Treks are invaluable in helping HOLD students navigate their futures. “In classrooms, it’s often hard to envision how what you are learning applies to life after graduation,” Davis said. “Career Treks offer students a glimpse into their future, highlighting how choosing HOLD as a major brightens their prospects.”
