Empowering Students to Be Future-Ready

Brittany Wampler, Director of Career Development & Exploration, Cleveland State University

Brittany Wampler, Director of Career Development & Exploration, Cleveland State University

Please walk me through the journey you have had and your current role and responsibility?

My penchant for career planning and leadership development grew profound when I was pursuing my undergraduate degrees in Communication and Spanish from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. Thereon, I completed my postgraduate degree in Higher Education Administration from Kent State University in Ohio. I traversed most parts of Ohio as an academic advisor for first year students at Miami University and The University of Akron.

As my career narrowed down toward student population, I finally joined Cleveland State University, serving as co-ordinator and director of pre-professional health programs. Currently, as the director of career development and exploration, I am fortunate to lead and support undergraduate and graduate students at Cleveland State University across the university in every college and toward every career goal, whether that be preparing to join the workforce upon graduation or applying to graduate and professional programs. Our goal is to seek innovative ways to help students navigate their career success, while removing barriers in experiential, financial, or mentor relationships.

What would you say are some of the challenges you have witnessed in the professional development space, and how do you align yourselves accordingly?

The perennial challenge is the pandemic has disproportionately impacted the student body. It transformed the way they virtually learn and engage in the college experience. There was lack of internship exposure, micro internships, and networking capabilities, which created a lot more responsibility and ownership for institutions to find ways to reach students so they are confidently developing necessary skills.

At Cleveland State University, we reach out to students who are less engaged in attending events and incentivize them to pursue their education. We ensure they have the right network to support their education which goes far beyond my office and in partnership with many offices across the institution that take student support and belonging as core to their work. I take great pride in leading my creative team, aiming to support every student to successfully walk across the stage at graduation, ultimately with the dream of knowing where they are headed following graduation.

As a public urban serving institution, we support a diverse and unique population of students. About one third of our student body is first generation college students. Another significant population includes under-represented minority students, first generation American students, non-traditionally aged students, and veterans. We are a driving force to improve social mobility efforts to help students advance and capitalize on their education.

Is there any project or initiative you are currently overseeing in the professional development landscape that you would want to share?

We have undertaken two great initiatives in the past two years. The first is, we opened a public career fair to our student population to learn and engage with employers across every industry. Every spring, we host an all-campus career fair welcoming students to attend the four-hour inclusive event. They need not bring their resume unless they are ready to choose the right career path.

"Our goal is to seek innovative ways to help students navigate their career success, while removing barriers in experiential, financial, or mentor relationships"

It was an amazing event that over 900 students including freshmen through seniors, and graduates looking for jobs embraced the great opportunity to meet just under 150 employers. We incentivized student attendance and made it an event not to be missed.

Another initiative is we are the first public institution in the country to sign the premier Kaplan All Access license. It enables our university-wide students to access Kaplan's industry-leading test preparation, licensing exams, and credentialing programs free of cost. This contract is valid for students and graduate professionals in financial planning, insurance, nursing, engineering, architecture, and any other industries.

At the same time, we are signing micro credentials in Cisco, Python, and Microsoft for additional training and in-demand certifications, so that students can feel better prepared to become an efficient workforce. A game changer is we provide financial support for the ones who have the qualifications to attend expensive exams like MCAT or GRE, with the help of free test prep materials and self-paced courses. This reduces the financial barriers that students experience on track toward their career dreams.

How does your future look like in the professional development field?

Our next iteration of navigating the professional development for our students is making them feel prepared and professionally ready relative to the career competencies. We equip them on a granular level by providing unique and beneficial opportunities to partner with employers, faculty, and staff advisors.

What would be your single piece of advice to an aspiring professional in your field?

The way I defined my career lies in how I best serve and support students. Every one must consider students as a top priority, continually make efforts, and identify forward thinking ways to address their needs. We need to better understand the student body, regardless of the institution you are working for, providing them with the best support services.

I am passionate and relentless in my effort to support Cleveland State University and the administration to continually evolve and opt for ideal ways to support our students. We find our success through our students' success.