Career Development Week - UVA Alumni Association

Career Development Week
November 11–14, 2024

Inspired by our mission to empower alumni to plan, develop, and manage their careers for a lifetime, Alumni Career Engagement is excited to host our second annual week of virtual programming designed to support you on your career journey.

UVA alumni of all industries and experience levels are invited to join us for four days full of learning, discussion, and networking. This year for the first time, we are offering sessions tailored to recent grads as well as programming for alumni of all experience levels.

Program

Monday, Nov. 11
11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET

Keynote

The Power & Responsibility of Leaders
This dynamic keynote designed for UVA Alumni will reveal how our role as leaders extends far beyond job performance, directly shaping organizational culture and driving team success. Raabia Shafi (Col ’05) of Raabia Shafi Consulting will explore the science behind why colleagues magnify the impact of our words and actions and how to leverage this influence to foster belonging and boost performance. Recent research indicates that organizations with solid workplace cultures experience 34.5% lower job turnover, and we’ll cover practical ways to nurture both engaged teams and satisfied customers across industries.

Through interactive exercises, we’ll unpack pivotal leadership lessons from our personal and professional lives, challenge limiting narratives, and craft a leadership mission statement to anchor us when the going gets tough. Join us to unlock your full potential as a culture architect who drives results and builds a thriving, inclusive workplace. You’ll leave with an actionable blueprint to become a leader people genuinely want to follow.

12–1 p.m. ET

Job Search 2.0: LinkedIn & ChatGPT Secrets Revealed
Hiring today looks very different than it did 20 years ago. Applicant Tracking Systems, AI keyword matching, and LinkedIn Recruiter mean that it’s the rare recruiter who’s just sitting there looking through paper resumes.

So why are so many jobseekers still applying for jobs like it’s 1999?

Join Jeremy Schifeling, who served in leadership roles at both LinkedIn and Khan Academy (OpenAI’s first education partner for ChatGPT), for a deep dive into the most advanced LinkedIn and ChatGPT techniques.

3–4 p.m. ET

Let’s Network: Tech
Wanting to meet fellow Hoos in your field? Considering a career change to a new industry? Join us for an hour of coast-to-coast industry networking focused on Tech! The session includes four 12-minute networking sessions.

Tuesday, Nov. 12
11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET

5 Must-Have Skills for Career Growth
Join UVA Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning to explore the critical skills driving professional success in today’s dynamic and fast-changing business landscape. Hosted by Allison Stratton, Senior Director of Lifelong Learning, this session will provide valuable insights and practical development strategies for busy professionals who need to upskill quickly, along with information on how Darden’s non-degree certificate programs can help you enhance your career trajectory and position yourself for leadership.

This session is presented in partnership with Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning.

12–1 p.m. ET

Find Your Own Joy in Plain Sight
Joy matters. It’s linked to greater individual and collective well-being and resilience. In this workshop, Katya Davydova (Col ’15), Founder of Effervescent You, will help you build and sustain daily habits of flourishing. You’ll leave with three steps you can implement right away to make your life 10% brighter, and a system of how to maintain those new behaviors. This workshop is highly interactive, with individual reflection and partner and group discussion.

1:30–2:30 p.m. ET

For recent grads

Introducing UVA Career Connect
UVA Career Connect is a cutting-edge digital platform designed to support UVA Alumni in their continuous professional development so they can remain competitive and advance in their careers long after they leave Grounds. Offering a wide range of personalized educational and skill-building content based on real-time labor market data, UVA Career Connect provides flexible learning opportunities for Hoos looking to deepen their expertise in their current field, explore new disciplines, or acquire skills across industry sectors and in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, data science, digital marketing, and analytics. Join us to preview the platform and learn more about how to participate! This session is presented in partnership with the University of Virginia Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.

Speakers:

Dr. Kemi Jona, Vice Provost for Online Education and Digital Innovation, University of Virginia
Anant Das (Com ’19), Financial Consultant, PricewaterhouseCoopers; CEO, Broadway Boxed Up

3–4 p.m. ET

Let’s Network: Media, Sports, & Entertainment
Wanting to meet fellow Hoos in your field? Considering a career change to a new industry? Join us for an hour of coast-to-coast industry networking focused on Media, Sports, & Entertainment! The session includes four 12-minute networking sessions.

Wednesday, Nov. 13
11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET

For recent grads

Building Your Professional Future: Essential Strategies for Recent Graduates
Whether you are looking for your first post-UVA role, are navigating complex workplace norms, or are already thinking about your next career move, we know you have questions! Join Nicole Hall, Associate Vice President for Career and Professional Development at UVA, and Liz Sprouse, Director of Alumni Career Engagement at the UVA Alumni Association, for a conversation focused on the entry-level career landscape. We will address your questions and share tips and best practices to help you put your best foot forward! This session is presented in partnership with the University of Virginia Division of Student Affairs.

12–1 p.m. ET

Navigate the Job Search with Alumni Talent Acquisition Leaders!
Cover letters…AI…LinkedIn…the job search today is more complex than ever before. Whether you are a recent grad or an experienced hire, we know you have questions about the job search! Our panel of alumni talent acquisition experts is here to address your questions and share tips and best practices to help you navigate today’s complex job search with confidence!

Moderator: Lara Dalch (Col ’94), Leadership Trainer and Facilitator, LifeLabs Learning, Course Developer and Adjunct Instructor, Department of Communication, University of Washington

Panelists:

Mia Brandon (Col ’20), Account Manager, C.O.I. Executives
Arianny Mercedes (Col ’23), Founder, Revamped
Megan Saunders (Col ’15, Educ ’16), Senior Recruiter, Capital One

3–4 p.m. ET

Let’s Network: Consulting
Wanting to meet fellow Hoos in your field? Considering a career change to a new industry? Join us for an hour of coast-to-coast industry networking focused on Consulting! The session includes four 12-minute networking sessions.

Thursday, Nov. 14
12–1 p.m. ET

Leadership Unleashed: Lessons and Skills for Today’s Business Challenges
Presented by the UVA | Northern Virginia Executive & Employee Education team, this engaging session will advance your senior leadership skillset. Led by Professor Les Williams (Engr ’00), the program dives into the power of leadership, exploring how it can shape an organization’s destiny. We’ll reflect on real-world business case studies to highlight how leadership can make or break a company, and key topics such as cross-silo leadership, the GROW Model, and more. Join other Hoo leaders for an active discussion and leave ready to apply these new insights within your own role.

Presented in partnership with UVA Northern Virginia

3–4 p.m. ET

Let’s Network: Entrepreneurship
Wanting to meet fellow Hoos in your field? Considering a career change to a new industry? Join us for an hour of coast-to-coast industry networking focused on Entrepreneurship! The session includes four 12-minute networking sessions.

Program

Featured Speakers

Career Development Week is presented by the UVA Alumni Association in partnership with: