Berry College recently welcomed the CEO of the National Association of Colleges and Employers recently to talk about career readiness and how to navigate the job market.
CEO Shawn VanDerziel spent a full day on campus talking with students, faculty, staff and leaders and hearing firsthand about the impact they are having. Berry recently earned “Honorable Mention” from his organization for career readiness excellence.
“What impressed me most during my visit was what’s happening with student career readiness across that campus. Through Berry’s LifeWorks program, students are gaining meaningful, hands-on work experience as part of their college experience,” CEO Shawn VanDerziel said. “And this isn’t an initiative that sits within one office or department. Berry has engaged its workforce across the institution in helping students develop skills, take on real responsibility and connect what they are learning to the world of work.”
The National Association of Colleges and Employers is the foremost source of information on the transition from college to career. Under VanDerziel’s leadership, his organization continues to bring gold standards to research, standards and practices that are shaping the future to the college-to-career pipeline.
“There is a real joy in helping students particularly, to bust myths and provide them with realities of what’s happening,” VanDerziel said. “We’re in a clouded world with lots of media in our ears. I love being able to be a truth-teller, to help individuals navigate a complex world.”
Berry’s Lifeworks program focuses on hands-on experience for students in any major. Each year 85% of seniors credit their on-campus work experience and supervisors when achieving their post-graduation career goals.
“Shawn ... made the job search more approachable. He really gave us the data of what they’re looking for,” senior Xia Richardson-Coates said after the lecture.
VanDerziel highlighted the resources students have on campus, such as Berry’s Center of Personal and Professional Development. For more information visit https://berry.edu/ppd/.
Written by Public Relations Student Associate Bella Brown
