Leveraging Your EXPO Experience

Career-Related Benefits of Participating in the EXPO
When students think of experiential learning the first thing that usually comes to mind are internships. While internships are a great way to build discipline/industry-specific knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs), there are other ways to gain the KSAs needed for your desired career path. According to research by Hart Research Associates, employers recommend the following practices for achieving workplace skills:

  • Internships/apprenticeships (94%)
  • Senior thesis (87%)
  • Multiple courses involving significant writing (81%)
  • Research projects done collaboratively with peers (80%)
  • Service-learning project with community organization (69%)
  • Field project in diverse community with people from different background/cultures (66%)

By participating in the Research & Creative Inquiry Expo, you will have the opportunity further develop the career competencies listed below, among other valuable workplace skills (e.g., problem-solving, creativity, quantitative). The career competencies below have been identified by the National Association for College and Employers has highlighly desired by employers across industries. Learn more about career readiness on the NACE website. Employer desired skills:

  • Communication (written and verbal)
  • Critical Thinking
  • Teamwork
  • Leadership
  • Professionalism
  • Career & Self-Development
  • Technology
  • Equity & Inclusion

Market Your Experience
In addition to the Research & Creative Inquiry Expo, you may want to consider highlighting academic projects on your resume. As mentioned above, this is a great way to demonstrate discipline specific-KSAs. The key is to treat your projects like you would any employment opportunity highlighted on your resume. For more information on including projects on your resume, check out the Starr Career Development Center’s Resume Writing Guide.

You can also attend a resume writing workshop and/or have your resume reviewed by a career advisor.To register for either, please log into your Starr Search/Handshake.