LEWISBURG, Pa. — What does career preparation look like when today’s college students may eventually work in jobs or entire fields that don’t yet exist?
As AI, automation and shifting workforce demands reshape what employers need, Sean Schofield, Freeman Family Associate Vice President and Director of Bucknell University’s Center for Career Advancement, says colleges should stop thinking about career preparation as training students for their first job. Instead, they should prepare graduates to navigate a working life that could span five or more distinct careers.
“It’s less important for us to help students prepare technically for a single career and more important to help them build strategies for adaptability and resilience,” Schofield says. “We’re seeing AI and automation shake up industries that we didn’t anticipate that they would, and we need students to be adaptable, to pivot, to learn to use a tool — those kinds of skills are more valuable at this point.”
Schofield is leading Bucknell’s efforts to build a more integrated approach to career development, one that moves career preparation beyond the traditional junior or senior year checklist. His work connects career development with the classroom, experiential learning and alumni relationships, allowing students to identify and develop their strengths throughout college.
His approach also begins with a different question. Rather than asking students,“What do you want to be?” Schofield encourages them to consider what they value, what makes them curious, and what they are good at, then use those answers to build skills that can travel with them as their careers evolve.
With National Career Development Month approaching in November, Schofield is available to discuss:
- Why core competencies may matter more than choosing the “right” career path at 20
- How AI and automation are changing what employers need from new graduates
- Why resilience and adaptability are becoming essential career skills
- How colleges can prepare students for multiple career transitions rather than a single profession
- Why career development should begin long before students start applying for jobs
You can read more about Schofield and his vision here.
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CONTACTS: Sean Schofield, 570-577-2636, sms090@bucknell.edu; Mike Ferlazzo, 570-577-3212, 570-238-6266 (cell), mike.ferlazzo@bucknell.edu