Visiting assistant professor of communication Craig Pinkerton learned the hard way how impactful college career services can be.
鈥淔or the longest time, I lived with the misconception that the only thing I needed to prepare for my career future was to do well academically,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 was wrong.鈥
Pinkerton wants his students to learn from his example and says the keys to success are to 鈥渇ind a mentor, take advantage of the Knowlton Career Center, network, and gain experience.鈥 He makes sure his students connect with the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration by incorporating career-forward activities into his curriculum.
He invited the Knowlton Center staff to his Rhetoric of Story course, where students learned how to translate their skills, talents, and values into a professional brand and how to tell their story authentically.
Students in Pinkerton鈥檚 Public Address course learned the importance of public speaking as a professional. He also collaborated with the Knowlton Center to provide his students opportunities to have their professional headshot taken for use on LinkedIn and email.
鈥淯nfortunately, no one ever told me to go to the career center early or taught me how to network,鈥 he said. 鈥淢y motivation for getting students engaged with the Knowlton Center early in part stems from helping them avoid the mistakes I made.鈥
In recognition of his commitment to his students, the Knowlton Center named Pinkerton a Faculty Champion and noted, 鈥淎s an educator, his mission is to nurture students鈥 growth in thinking well, speaking well, and writing well and to facilitate growth and experience that engages students in good faith communication across differences. In introducing the Knowlton Center to his students, Dr. Pinkerton furthers this mission by ensuring the skills and knowledge gained through the classroom translate to the professional world.鈥
