The Career Design Workshop Series launched as part of the 2022 Columbia University Summer Session. Director of Career Design and Education Diane Spizzirro leads the Career Design Workshop, providing participants with strategies for success in U.S. and global job markets.
Spizzirro encourages students to take ownership of their career plans and advises them on ways to build both soft and tangible skills for the modern workplace. “Defining your path forward and formulating an executable plan is key,” she says. Participants are encouraged to use design thinking when defining what they need for the next stage of their careers. Design thinking is a methodical approach to goal-setting that prioritizes innovation, feasibility, and, most importantly, in this case, the employer’s needs. Students also learn about the skills and mindsets most favored by employers and job hunters.
According to Spizzirro, design thinking is a tool not only to understand but also to explore and materialize opportunities. “Knowing who you are now and what skills you need to manage your career are some of the most crucial elements in your career path,” says Spizzirro. During the workshop, students learn tactics for widening their job search and building empathy toward themselves in a period of a career change and professional development.
The series returns in July, starting with an encore of the Career Design Workshop on July 12. The second installation, Interviewing Skills for Career Growth, takes place on July 14, led by Steve Safier, Ph.D., Lecturer in the Discipline of Human Capital Management. Students will have the opportunity to get new professional LinkedIn headshots taken on August 3. The next day, August 4, Louise A. Rosen will lead Build Your Personal Brand. Rosen is the Senior Associate Dean of Administration and Communications at the School of Professional Studies and a Lecturer in Environmental Policy at the School of International and Public Affairs.
To learn more about the Columbia University Summer Session, join an upcoming career workshop or other co-curricular activities.
