Professional Exploration
Professional exploration experiences are opportunities for you to engage in vocational discovery, develop valuable skills, and be immersed in a professional setting.
This category requires 75 hours of professional exploration activities in one of the following forms:
- 75 hours spent in an internship
or
- A minimum of 60 hours of work directly focused on professional exploration as part of a block course. The additional 15 hour requirement can come from experiences such as assigned reading, webinars, interviews with industry professionals or other activities as assigned by the sponsor.
or
- A minimum of 60 hours of professional exploration activities completed within a twelve-month period. The additional 15 hour requirement can come from experiences such as assigned reading, webinars, interviews with industry professionals or other activities as assigned by the sponsor.
- Internships
- Student teaching
- On-campus work experiences tied to a student’s eventual career goals
- Courses that include a major hands-on component such as student consulting work or student teaching
- Other activities that meet the stated goals and requirements may also be proposed
- ANT 325 - Anthropology of Doing Good: Human Rights, Development, and Humanitarianism
- ART 483 - Studio Art Senior Seminar
- ART 484 - Art History Senior Seminar
- ENG 715 - Literature in Action: Editing (Open Field editorial board for two consecutive semesters)
- Internships approved for credit by the registrar/Cornell Fellowships
- Chautauqua Internship (for credit)
- Cole Library student interns (for credit)
- Summer Flute and Clarinet Camp/One Course Summer Institute Interns (for credit)
- Mock Trial (for credit)
- PSY 395 - Human Services Practicum and Seminar
- Student teaching (for credit)
- Cornellian Writer/Editor
- The following work study/student employment positions:
- Art and Art History work study
- Center for Teaching and Learning student peer consultants
- Cole Library circulation workers
- Intercultural Life work study
- Please visit the pre-approved list for an updated selection of all pre-approved Professional Exploration experiences.
- You will be able to identify and assess your unique skills and consider how those skills may be relevant to career opportunities.
- You will understand field-specific professional norms and expectations.
- You will practice foundational professional skills appropriate across industries.
- You will develop plans for future career possibilities based on knowledge gained from your experience.
- You will demonstrate a tolerance for ambiguity when facing unexpected or uncomfortable circumstances.
- What unique skills did you employ over the course of this project/experience (Learning Outcome 1)?
- Describe an unexpected or challenging circumstance you encountered or a time when you had to be resourceful. How did you manage the situation and what did this experience teach you about professionalism in the workplace (Learning Outcomes 2, 5)?
- What skills or additional training could you pursue as a next step to advance your career pursuits (Learning Outcome 3)?
- Create a resume entry, including the title of the position/project and 1-3 bullet points (resume style) describing your experience. Focus on aspects of your experience that demonstrate the applicable skills you gained as a result of this experience (Learning Outcomes 3, 4).
See details on how to participate.
Your sponsor will use the following rubric to give your final reflection a pass/fail grade.
If you have questions directly related to the Professional Exploration category, contact Jodi Schafer in the Berry Career Institute.