Faculty & Staff Resources

Career development conversations happen all across campus, and can be led by more than just the Center for Career and Professional Development staff. We know that faculty and staff serve as go-to resources for students for a variety of needs, including career-related questions. We've created career modules full of grab-and-go content for you to use. We welcome you to select any pieces you need and customize these materials to fit your goals. You may choose to use a full module, or just pick up a new worksheet or short video to integrate into the work you are already doing. If you need an editable version of a pdf, please contact us and we are happy to share.

In these modules you will find:

• a lesson plan guide if you would like to dedicate a full class session or meeting to a topic,
• an editable PowerPoint with suggested speaker's notes and built in activities,
• handouts, worksheets and activities guides,
• a variety of assignment ideas, and
• supplemental resources such as short videos created by the CCPD, TED talks, and videos and articles from external resources curated by our staff.  

If you would like to brainstorm creating lessons, activities, and assignments for your class or group, please contact your liaison. As always, our staff are happy to lead a workshop with your students, simply fill out our online request form. 

New modules are consistently under development. If you have suggestions or questions about our career modules contact Carrie Hachadurian, Assoc. Director of Career Integrated Learning, at cphachadurian@wcu.edu. 

Career Module Topics

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Career Assessments

Lesson Plan with Assignments: Career Assessment Lesson Plan

Instructional PowerPoint: Career Assessment PPT

Handouts, Worksheets, and Activity Guides: Skills Worksheet | Interests Worksheet | Values Worksheet

Supplemental Resources: Focus2 Career Assessments and Connection to Majors/Careers (First-time users need to register for accounts using their WCU email address. Access code: Catamount) | CCPD Career Guide | 

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Career Exploration

Lesson Plan with Assignments: Career Exploration Lesson Plan

Instructional PowerPoint: Career Exploration PPT

Handouts, Worksheets, and Activity Guides: Career and Major Exploration Worksheet

Supplemental Resources: Focus2 Career Assessments and Connection to Majors/Careers (First-time users need to register for accounts using their WCU email address. Access code: Catamount) | Why Some of Us Don’t Have One True Calling (Video) | How to Find the Work You Love (Video) | A Marathon, Not a Sprint (Article)

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Cover Letters

Lesson Plan with Assignments: Cover Letter Lesson Plan

Instructional PowerPoint: Cover Letter PPT 

Handouts, Worksheets, and Activity Guides: Tailoring Your Cover Letter Worksheet | Cover Letter Rubric | Learn Your Transferable Skills Worksheet

Supplemental Resources: CCPD Career Guide | Vault's 5 Cover Letter Mistakes to Avoid so Your Job Application Stands Out (Article) | Vault's 4 Writing Mistakes You Don't Know Your Making (Article) | ZipRecruiter Blog The Traditional Cover Letter is Dead: Do These Things Instead to Stand Out (Article)

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Resumes

This module has two versions: Starting Your Resume designed for first or second year students and Enhancing Your Resume designed for juniors and seniors

Lesson Plan with Assignments: Starting Your Resume Lesson Plan | Enhancing Your Resume Lesson Plan

Instructional PowerPoint: Starting Your Resume PPT | Enhancing Your Resume PPT

Handouts, Worksheets, and Activity Guides: Learn Your Transferable Skills Checklist | Crafting Strong Bullet Point Worksheets  | Resume Review Rubric

Supplemental Resources: CCPD Career Guide |  Big Interview Resume Curriculum Video (Requires account, students can sign up using their catamount email address and faculty/staff can sign up by requesting access from CCPD) | Vault's 6 Resume Trends to Follow if You Want to Land an Interview (Article) | Fast Company's I've Reviewed Hundreds of Entry-Level Resumes. Here's What it Takes to Get my Attention (Article)

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Graduate School

Lesson Plan with Assignments: Graduate School Lesson Plan 

Instructional PowerPoint: Graduate School PPT

Handouts, Worksheets, and Activity Guides: Considering Graduate School Worksheet | Graduate School Comparison Sheet | Tracking Graduate School Applications in Excel

Supplemental Resources: Professional Associations often have resources for students, including advice articles and lists of accredited programs | CCPD Career Guide | College InfoGeek's Should You Go to Grad School? (Article) | Peterson's Blog on Graduate School | Princeton Review's Graduate School Application Timeline | WCU's Graduate School

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Internships

Lesson Plan with Assignments: Internship Lesson Plan

Instructional PowerPoint: Internship PPT

Supplemental Resources: What is an internship (CCPD Video) | How to search for an internship (CCPD Video) | CCPD Internships Page 

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Interviewing

Lesson Plan with Assignments: Interviewing Lesson Plan

Instructional PowerPoint: Interviewing PPT

Handouts, Worksheets, and Activity Guides: Pre-Interview Employer Research Worksheet | Using the STAR Method Worksheet | Interview Attire Planning Worksheet | Tips for Virtual Interviews

Supplemental Resources: CCPD Career Guide |  Big Interview Guide on Creating Assignments (Faculty will need an account created for them by CCPD) | Big Interview Guide on Completing Assignments (For students) | 5 Things You Need to Know About AI Video Interviews (Article) | How to Answer Tell Me a Little About Yourself (video)

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Job Searching

Lesson Plan with Assignments: Job Searching Lesson Plan

Instructional PowerPoint: Job Searching PPT

Handouts, Worksheets, and Activity Guides: Career Search Strategy Worksheet | Career Planning Worksheet | Job Analysis Worksheet

Supplemental Resources: CCPD YouTube Channel has videos on elevator pitches, using LinkedIn, networking and more! | CCPD Career Guide | Check out the resources in our networking module below | Inc's The Psychological Impact of Job Search in 2019 

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Networking

Lesson Plan with Assignments: Networking Lesson Plan

Instructional PowerPoint: Networking PPT

Handouts, Worksheets, and Activity Guides: Creating an Elevator Pitch Worksheet | Networking Chart | Job Searching Excel Sheet

Supplemental Resources: CCPD YouTube Channel has videos on elevator pitches, using LinkedIn and more! | CCPD Career Guide | Centennial College's Developing a Networking Strategy (Video) | Self Made Millennial's 6 Tips on How to Network at an Event (Video) | The Balance Careers' How Informational Interviews Can Boost Your Career (Article)

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Professionalism

Lesson Plan with Assignments: Professionalism Lesson Plan

Instructional PowerPoint: Professionalism PPT

Supplemental Resources: CCPD YouTube Channel has videos on professional branding, using LinkedIn and more! | CCPD Career Guide | 6 Traits of a True Professional (Video) | Michelle Obama's Best Advice for Students (Video) | The Bias of 'Professionalism' Standards (Article) | Understanding the Behaviors that Showcase Workplace Professionalism (Article)

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Virtual Career Fairs

Lesson Plan and Assignments: Virtual Career Fair Lesson Plan | Virtual Career Fair Assignments

Instructional PowerPoint: Virtual Career Fair Preparation

Handouts, Worksheets, and Activity Guides: Career Fair Checklists | Elevator Pitch

Supplemental Resources: CCPD YouTube Channel has videos on preparing for virtual fairs, presenting yourself during the fair, information on elevator pitches, and more!

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Check out this article from some WCU COB Faculty on incorporating BIG INTERVIEW into their curriculum. 

• Incorporate career content with grab and go career modules (found above) including PPTs, lesson plans, and resources.
• Bring in the experts by requesting a presentation from our staff or meet with your liaison to develop assignments, brainstorm ideas, or get resources.
• Integrate career development into your work with this list of curriculum ideas or talk with your liaison.
• Use the CCPD Career Assignment List to incorporate activities and incorporate career-readiness skills into your syllabus.
• Feel free to use CCPD's Resume, Interview, and LinkedIn rubrics when grading student assignments. You can also tweak the rubrics to fit your needs and industry.
• Stay up-to-date on employers’ most sought after skills with the NACE Career Readiness Competencies.
• Share our Career Guides with your students. As an editable pdf, it can even be used as a workbook!
• View CCPD and DegreePlus in-person and virtual events to add to your syllabus.
• Get a student connected with a CCPD appointment or our walk-in friendly Career Studio.

• Check out these NACE guidelines for writing a reference letter and review this sample.

• See our comprehensive employer page for information on how we work with employers. 
• If you’d like to include employers as guest speakers in your classroom, contact your liaison. 
• Encourage employers to post job and internship opportunities in JobCat. (link is specific for employers).
• This short guide from NACE provides you with guidance on ethical and legal situations you may encounter helping students with job and internship searches.

We have just rolled out exciting new updates to DegreePlus and want you to know about them. The program is now focused on Professionalism and why it matters. Employers are saying that professionalism is a major gap for interns and new hires. Through skill-packed workshops and real-world experiences, DegreePlus helps students learn how to show up, stand out, and crush it in professional spaces through problem solving skills, communication skills, workplace behavior and etiquette skills, and working with colleagues and supervisors.

DegreePlus Program includes:

• 10 required foundational workshops
• A semester‑long Professional Skills Experience
• A mock interview using Big Interview software

Students Receive: a notation on their academic transcript, a certificate of completion, an invitation to the end-of-semester gathering, and cords for graduation.

Learn more about the program on the DegreePlus website.

• Learn all about internships on our comprehensive page.
• Teach students the importance of internships using our grab-and-go career module (located above).
• Need to approve paperwork in JobCat? Use this link for faculty.
• If your department does not currently coordinate with our office for internships for credit and you would like to discuss doing so, please contact careerservices@wcu.edu or 828.227.7133.

• Use this list to begin brainstorming ways to integrate career development into departmental curriculum. Contact our office at careerservices@wcu.edu or 828.227.7133 to develop ideas specific for your department/College.  
• Stay up-to-date on employers’ most sought after skills in the NACE Career Readiness Competencies.
• View Engage for CCPD and DegreePlus events to promote to your faculty and students.

The CCPD supports faculty and staff in their CV/ resume development. Feel free to download these CV samples (using Microsoft Word) and use at your discretion. Please note some sections may not pertain to you, while other sections you need may not be included. Change sections as needed.

• Faculty CV example 1
• Faculty CV example 2

• How to Create Resume Assignments in Big Interview
• How to Create Interview Assignments in Big Interview