Coaching
Career Coaching
We offer Smeal degree graduates 5 free one-to-one career coaching sessions and exclusive access to timely resources in Canvas, Penn State’s content management system. For lifelong learning and career management, your priorities are our priorities! We recognize that change is constant and may entail serendipitous detours. Our sensitized balance of coaching and advising depends on your interests, needs, and level of work experience from early to late career—sample topics listed below.
Active coaching clients have free premium access to Jobscan.co, an AI platform that optimizes resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles for online applicant tracking systems (ATS).
Read the latest article on alumni career coaching in the spring 2024 issue of the Smeal Magazine
Early Stage
Coaching for clarity & establishing best practices:
- Entry-level resume & cover letter
- Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
- Self-clarity
- Value proposition
- Visibility strategy
- Occupational exploration
- Decision-making
- Networking strategy
- Informational & career interviews
- Affinity groups
- Leveraging LinkedIn
- Demonstrating achievement
- Graduate school consideration
- Joining professional associations
- Time management
- Internal advancement
- Interview preparation
- Industry insights
- Values & integrity
- First negotiations
- Onboarding
- Remote and hybrid working environments
Mid Stage
Coaching for change and advancement:
- Professional resume & cover letter
- Navigating ATS for switchers
- Value bridge
- Visibility strategy
- Leveraging LinkedIn
- Thought leadership
- Strategizing mid-career pivots
- Informational & career interviews
- Internal advancement
- Reinventing a professional identity
- Changing work habits
- Continued learning
- Balancing work/life priorities
- Interview preparation
- Industry insights
- Professional associations & service
- Values & integrity
- Negotiation
- Conflict resolution
- Remote and hybrid working environments
Advanced Stage
Coaching for pivots at the highly experienced and executive level:
- Executive resume, cover letter & executive bio
- ATS & trend forecasting
- Optimizing LinkedIn
- Thought leadership
- Leadership identity & visioning
- Workforce re-entry given an extended break
- Executive-level networking
- “Reskilling” or “upskiling”
- Time & people management
- Addressing age stigmatization
- Executive recruiters
- Board membership
- Industry insights
- Negotiation
- Mediating workplace conflict
- Values & integrity
- Encore career & volunteerism
- Managing virtual collaboration
*Please note that our coaching service is exclusive to those who have graduated with a degree from the Smeal College of Business. Current Smeal students (both undergrad and grad) can reach out to their respective career services offices. Penn State alumni from other colleges and campuses can request guidance from Alumni Career Services.
Executive Group Coaching
ACS routinely partners with the women-founded global startup HumanQ, offering executive group coaching to alumni of Smeal. Group coaching unlocks human potential for the digital age in a collaborative, interactive, safe space by harnessing the power of the individual and that of the group. With intimate cohorts of up to six individuals with one executive coach, programs run anywhere from six weeks to twelve months while accelerating the flow of ideas, action, and impact.
Sample topics include Building Your Communication Superpower, Connecting Your Why, and Growth Mindset in an Era of Ai.
Email Keleigh Asbury at kca105@psu.edu for more information on current programs being offered.