Career readiness module aims to help new students understand their intended career path

It’s never too early for a student to begin preparing for the career they will pursue after graduation. In fact, it’s best to start as early as possible – even in the first semester of their university experience.

FIU supports the professional development of its students through the efforts of the Career and Talent Development department as well as discipline-specific career centers within FIU’s colleges and schools. These departments offer students free access to online career platforms such as Handshake and VMock; host career fairs and informational workshops; help students perfect their resumes and interview skills; and much more.

Additionally, following the guidance of the State University System of Florida, career readiness requirements for all new undergraduate students at FIU now include:

• Registering with the career center associated with their major by claiming their free Handshake account and completing the profile
• Completing the Panther Career Readiness Module, available online through the FIU Develop portal
• Accessing the MyFloridaFuture dashboard, created by the Florida State University System to help students research salary data, compare potential earnings based on academic degree and estimate costs associated with various higher education pathways

“The Panther Career Readiness Module is an excellent tool to help students set goals, gain a clear understanding of the career path they wish to follow and learn about the resources available at FIU to help them achieve these goals,” said Bridgette Cram, interim vice president for innovative education and student success.

All new undergraduate students who entered FIU in the Summer and Fall 2022 semesters must complete these requirements online before the registration period opens for their Summer and Fall 2023 semesters in March.

Moving forward, all incoming undergraduate students will need to complete the module, available through FIU Develop, during their first year of study before enrolling in courses for their second academic year at FIU. Students are automatically enrolled in the module in their first semester, and a course registration hold will be placed on students’ PantherSoft accounts until the requirements are met.

Upon accessing the module, students will be guided through resources available at FIU as well as those available online and from the state of Florida to learn about and prepare for their intended careers. Students will also participate in a selection of micro-credentialing courses to gain additional workforce competencies and soft skills, such as public speaking, critical thinking, leadership essentials, emotional intelligence and more.

Syvan Levi is a junior on a pre-med track and a transfer student. She intends to pursue a career in pediatric surgery or plastic surgery, and she said the module was an informative tool that helped her map out how she will achieve these goals.

“The Panther Career Readiness Module helped prepare me for the transition from transferring institutions to FIU. If it weren't for that module, I wouldn't have found all the incredible resources FIU provides for us as students.” Levi said. “I found the MyFloridaFuture dashboard with the potential earning information especially helpful. It informed me on the estimated future costs of my upcoming years of continuing education. Instead of worrying [about] how much everything will come out to in the end, the dashboard gives you a personalized total of costs estimated for your education.”