Starting May 1st, the Center for Professional Development (CPD) embarks on the next stage of its journey as the Dartmouth Center for Career Design (DCCD). The new Center for Career Design is rooted in life design, inviting students to navigate life’s ambiguity and design lives and careers full of joy and meaning through design thinking.
Building on the resources our center currently offers—one-on-one coaching sessions, opportunities for employers and students to connect, and more—the Center for Career Design will enhance students’ career readiness and personal development by implementing several strategic initiatives over the next few months, including:
- Increasing accessibility to internships: Expand funding and support to ensure all students, regardless of financial background, have access to meaningful internship experiences that bridge academic and professional growth and allow them to explore.
- Integrating career and life design coaching: Implement a coaching approach that combines career planning with life design to help students align their personal values with professional aspirations, ranging from jobs and internships to graduate school.
- Developing career communities: Establish structured career communities that offer industry-specific programming, networking opportunities, and tailored guidance to support students in exploring and advancing in their fields of interest.
- Strengthening partnerships: Collaborate closely with alumni, parents, families, and employers to create a robust network supporting student development and career placement, capitalizing on the strong alumni commitment to Dartmouth’s undergraduates.
- Enhancing practical career skills: Provide workshops and individual coaching on LinkedIn optimization, resume and cover letter writing, financial literacy, and job search strategies to ensure students are equipped with the tools needed for professional success.
- Staying ahead of workforce development trends: Actively analyze industry shifts, employer expectations, and emerging fields to shape programs that prepare students for high-demand careers and lifelong employability.
As the Center for Career Design’s Executive Director, Joe Catrino, noted last term, “Career design is about helping individuals navigate their professional journeys, applying the mindset of a designer to proactively shape a life of meaning and purpose. It’s a multidisciplinary, human-centered approach that is really about understanding people. The first step is empathy—helping students understand who they are, so they can make informed decisions.” While our name is changing and our resources are expanding, our goal remains the same: empowering Dartmouth’s diverse undergraduate student community to confidently pursue their career goals.
