Deepening Career Insights Through Industry Panels

When CareerSpring first hosted our Career Exploration Week, the goal was simple: to help Advisees learn what’s possible. Today, we’re proud to be evolving how we support students as they explore careers, launching monthly, industry-focused panels that offer Advisees an opportunity to hear personal stories from real-world professionals.

Yasamin Mahallaty, CareerSpring’s National Director of Strategic Innovation, explained, "We shifted Career Exploration Week to instead host monthly panels to align with the industry of the month we promote through our social channels. Now, each month we bring together a group of our Advisors and Advisees from across the country for virtual conversations around these industries and how to best prepare for them while in college."

This new format expands opportunities for our volunteers and Advisors to engage in new, high-impact ways to share their insights and help Advisees see themselves in roles they may not have previously considered. The shift in our programming allows our Advisees to better engage with career exploration in real time, acting as an extension of our career exploration resources such as our Career Video Library and Career Interest Finder.

For Advisees like Rickia Latchman, a student at the University of California, Los Angeles, the impact was immediate and tangible. She shared, "The HR Panel came at the perfect time as I was actively applying for an HR internship role and navigating how to position my background. Hearing directly from HR professionals helped me understand how to translate my past experiences into clear, transferable skills that align with the roles I’m pursuing."

For Advisees like Rickia, there so many avenues for gaining deeper insights into different career paths that exist—so much so it can be overwhelming. Many Advisees have an idea of what path they may want to do, but as they progress in their education and career, their direction may shift. She continued, “As a second-year Psychology student at UCLA, I initially envisioned a path in healthcare. However, through exposure to different industries and professional conversations, I realized I am more energized by roles that allow me to apply creativity, interpersonal skills, and strategic thinking to support organizations and businesses. While most of my experience has been in marketing, CareerSpring’s HR panel helped me better understand how to translate my existing skill set into corporate and people-focused roles, clarifying my direction moving forward.”

We are thrilled with the panels thus far, and look forward to these monthly virtual events deepening career awareness, strengthening connections between Advisees and Advisors, and ensuring our Advisees have more access to opportunities to gain unique insights. Every opportunity turns exploration into preparation, and connection into confidence.