Expanding Classroom Learning with Immersive Experiences

Classroom learning is essential for building foundational knowledge in a subject area. UC Davis offers over 100 majors aimed at educating students in various fields. Immersive experiences are a great way to supplement knowledge gained in the classroom to prepare students for careers. Thus, providing opportunities for students to gain hands-on skills and insights into working within a specific industry. These may include completing an internship, job shadowing, observation hours, or informational interviews. Not only can students use these opportunities to apply knowledge gained from classroom learning, they can also utilize them to increase soft and job-specific skills. This will help students better understand different career pathways, gain directly applicable experience, and build their professional network.

Students can gain immersive experiences by:

• Visiting the UC Davis Internship and Career Center (ICC) to meet with a career advisor. Careers advisors maintain relationships with employers, help students refine application documents and prepare for interviews, and provide many other career services. Additionally, career advisors can utilize and show students how to use Handshake to find open positions.
• Attending one of the many career fairs offered throughout the year where employers are actively recruiting. The fairs also provide a great opportunity for students to network with professionals and meet UC Davis alumni.
• Applying for Entrepreneurship Quest: Undergraduate Internship Program (EQUIP), which is specifically designed to aid students in honing their leadership and job skills. Additionally, EQUIP helps students find an internship in their area of interest to complete over the summer.
• Taking a career course. These courses include self-assessments to help students identify traits, such as strengths, values, and skills, and match them with compatible careers. Students utilize this information to tailor their resumes and cover letters to apply for applicable immersive experiences. Career courses are available for all majors and are offered every quarter during the academic year.

There are many opportunities for immersive experiences and the ICC is here to help students find their perfect match!