Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills

For many students, choosing a career in healthcare begins with a desire to help others. For Dr. Marc Novak, dentistry became the perfect way to combine that goal with something else he enjoyed: working with his hands and building meaningful connections with patients. But as Novak’s career shows, entering the healthcare field is only the beginning; the real challenge comes in transitioning from student to professional.

Fostering Connections Through Belonging Blueprint: Linda Graves’ Student Success Story 

As students, faculty, and community members moved between project displays at the 2026 UConn Hartford micro-internship showcase, Linda Graves ‘27 (SSW) presented her project, titled Belonging Blueptrint, culminating weeks of work with faculty and community …

Understanding and advocating for your strengths is essential for both personal and professional success. By shifting focus away from weaknesses and recognizing natural abilities, individuals can better align themselves with opportunities that support growth and fulfillment. Leveraging tools like career assessments and competency frameworks helps students build confidence, enhance their skills, and prepare for future careers.

Ashley Cruz did not arrive at UConn with a perfectly mapped-out plan, but she acknowledges that uncertainty has shaped her growth just as much as clarity has. Raised in Franklin Township, New Jersey, in a community characterized by cultural diversity …

Learn how Jessica Groves’ career journey led her to finding her passion for advising students, and hear her advice for other career champions.

When I first came to university as a first-generation student, I was both excited and thoroughly overwhelmed. Without family members who had gone through the process before me, I had to figure out a lot on my own – sometimes …

In recent years, the popularity of podcasts has grown exponentially. The accessibility of opening your device, clicking on a podcast, and listening from anywhere has been the biggest attraction. Within the wide range of podcast topics, one that specifically benefits college students are podcasts on career readiness conversations and advice. Career readiness podcasts discuss topics about navigating post-grad, corporate workplace culture, professionalism, networking, and are even centered around specific career paths. Read along for tips and recommendations on how to make the most of these types of podcasts.

Ava Sheard is a senior at the University of Connecticut, pursuing a degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. As a three-time Babbidge scholar, Ava has routinely demonstrated academic excellence, alongside exceptional leadership as President of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA), Hospital Relations Captain for HuskyTHON, and a Research Assistant in Emily Myers’ Language and Brain Lab. Since attending UConn Storrs as a Spring-to-Storrs admit in 2022, Ava has exemplified ambition, resilience, and a remarkable ability to maximize ventures, leaving a legacy of success and meaningful impact on the university community.

3 UConn students agree to meet at the Dairy Bar to celebrate completing another grueling week of midterm exams, relating in their stress in finding a summer internship. Read along to get a view on their brainstorming process for responsibly integrating the use of AI as an assistant in their job hunt.