The UNC Career Center, formerly University Career Services, marked its 100th anniversary in 2023, as a hub to support students with their career success.
“The career landscape has rapidly changed over the last ten years, accelerated in North Carolina by the pandemic and a boom in businesses moving or being established here. We’re changing, too – starting with conveying that career development is, truly, core to fostering students thriving and succeeding,” said James Barricelli, assistant vice chancellor of career development and executive director of the UNC Career Center. “From the moment that students become Tar Heels, we want them to build relationships with our career coaches, network with alumni, and have all the tools to find their career paths.”
Barricelli describes the UNC Career Center as sitting at the center of a wheel – the spokes of the wheel are a range of resources all across campus that UNC-Chapel Hill has invested in to improve undergraduate and graduate student career outcomes.
“Carolina’s students now have multiple pathways to explore careers. At our physical location in Hanes Hall and around campus, we host events all year where they can directly interact with employers and alumni. We also take students on career treks around the state, to see what different communities have to offer. This year, we launched a Career Champions network of faculty and staff who can serve as career mentors in a student’s chosen field of study.”
The UNC Career Center and Student Affairs also launched the UNC Career Hub earlier this year, a website where students, alumni, faculty, and staff can access a wealth of tools designed to elevate career growth and success. These include platforms like Heels Engage, a Tar Heel-specific alumni engagement platform, as well as curated calendars and career readiness tools.
Career development is, truly, core to fostering students thriving and succeeding.