In the Fall of 2013, the Corps of cadets established a Career Readiness (CR) program to help prepare cadets – especially non-commissioning cadets – to successfully transition into the work force (this program was a 2017 AMSCUS Best Practice).
In the spirit of continuous improvement and program development, this year the TAMU Corps of Cadets Career Readiness program created Career Readiness Officer positions (CROs) imbedded in every outfit and major unit in the Corps. In addition, we created a standardized Career Readiness point system that enables every outfit to track each individual cadet’s CR developmental efforts.
This practice has produced the following promising results:
Cadet CROs receive extensive training on Career Readiness concepts and competencies
Cadet CROs train cadets in their respective units on CR competencies and initiatives
Cadet CROs are empowered to create and execute career readiness events in their units
ALL cadets are expected to earn a minimum number of CR points throughout the academic year
Unit CROs track and monitor the earned points
Major Unit and Staff-Level CROs validate and standardize earned points across the entire Corps
Major Units, Companies, and Outfits are briefed multiple times each semester on their unit’s earned CR points, enabling their cadet command chain to take timely corrective action (if necessary)
CR points are now included in the selection criteria for end-of-year awards
Cadets earn points for attending career information sessions, job fairs, resume-writing workshops, and other CR-focused events
Highlighted program in Commandant’s newsletter, the Corps of Cadets Assoc. magazine, and on social media
Developed cadet surveys to assess program impact, strengths, and opportunities
As a result of these continuous improvement efforts, we have seen a shift away from Career Readiness being a “program” (primarily aimed at only a subset of cadets) to more of a “mindset” and “culture” of Career Readiness for ALL cadets across ALL aspects of the cadet experience.
