Career Exploration Series

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How do first generation and underserved youth learn about career options? Many of our scholars learn about careers from the television shows and movies they see. Others have the opportunity in school to be exposed to certain career paths. Still, these sources are fairly limited. More important, how do scholars prepare themselves when they are in college for career options they don't even know exist?  To help answer these questions, Chicago Scholars offers exposure to career options and career mentoring as part of its five-year program.  Our goal is to introduce scholars to a wide range of ideas so they can be prepared to turn their creativity and passions into careers they care about.

To introduce scholars to careers, Chicago Scholars offers the Career Exploration Series which takes place during the summer months when most of our scholars return to Chicago. The Series is designed to provide our undergraduate college students with exposure to a broad base of careers, to raise awareness of the variety of careers within different industry sectors, and to help them develop skill-sets that are essential to the work place.

The Career Exploration Series has the following student objectives:

• interact with role models from a variety of industry sectors
• develop presentation, problem-solving, and networking skills
• learn about a variety of professional career paths, industries, and sectors
• reflect on current course-load and determine if adjustments are needed for career interests

Chicago Scholars would like to thank the following organizations for agreeing to participate as hosts for our 2010 Career Exploration Series:

• June 15, 2010:  Illinois Institute of Technology - Stuart School of Business
  
• June 22, 2010:  American Medical Association
• June 29, 2010:  Freeborn & Peters LLP
• July 6, 2010:  City Year
  
• July 13, 2010:  Turner Construction Co.
  
• July 20, 2010:  Mesirow Financial
• July 27, 2010:  IBM
• August 3, 2010:  West Monroe Partners, Young Professionals of Chicago & Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce

If your institution would like more information about how to become a host for the 2011 Career Exploration Series, contact Alex Gagnon, Career Programs Associate, at agagnon@chicagoscholars.org or 312-784-3306.