Waltham, Mass. — Feb. 5

Nearly 90 percent of Bentley University freshman are getting a head start on job searching with the launch of a career development course.

Career Development Introduction (CDI) 101 aims to provide first-year students with a comprehensive career toolkit and the opportunity to do mock interviews and elevator pitches in front of corporate recruiters.

The goal, according to the university, is to prevent students from falling through the cracks during their four-year college experience and to pioneer a new kind of career education.

The university says the course is not required, but is strongly encouraged. Successful completion provides a non-academic credit and appears on students' transcripts. It also opens the door for a one-credit internship course.

The program is designed and taught by Bentley career advisers in partnership with business professionals from companies like KPMG and TJX Corp. Lecture and lab components for each class cover:

• Personal and professional goal development.
• Interactive lab sessions on resume and cover letter writing and interviewing skills.
• Networking and social media.
• Internship preparation and professionalism.
• Four-year timeline (Bentley's HIRE Education career path).
• The initial class includes a Strong Interest Inventory Code Assessment to help students identify personal and professional skills before they start career planning.

Source: Bentley University