Career Readiness
& Mentorship
CSN’s redesigned Career Readiness & Mentorship Program provides first-generation, low-income college students with personalized, goal-driven support and access to a network of diverse professionals and near-peer mentors. Through individualized coaching, targeted workshops (on resume building, LinkedIn branding, interviewing, financial literacy, and more), and dynamic networking opportunities, students develop the skills, confidence, and connections needed to successfully navigate their transition into the workforce.
Advocacy, Belonging, and Careers (ABC) Program
CSN's virtual Advocacy, Belonging and Careers (ABC) Program is designed to help FGLI students advocate for themselves and others as they graduate from college and transition into the workforce. The six-session program, which began in July 2022 with a keynote session from author Elliott Felix, covers a variety of topics including helping students to define the issues they care most about; identifying what would be their ideal work environment; navigating and facilitating high stakes conversations in the workplace; addressing DEI issues in the workplace from an ethical and legal perspective; and learning how to use set-backs as opportunities, among other topics. At the end of the program, student participants will write a short policy brief on a topic of their choice and present it to a "mock panel" for constructive feedback. This program builds on many of the skills in CSN's Student Leadership Development and Training Program. We are very grateful to RSM for sponsoring this innovative program to empower Philadelphia area FGLI students.
Student Leadership Development Training and Certificate Program
This program covers a broad range of issues and techniques that help students become effective leaders and advocates. The program includes a StrengthsFinder Skills Assessment, sessions on improv, design thinking and mindfullness, and a session on navigating high stakes/“Crucial Conversations.” At the end of the program, students work with a professional to produce and share a mini-Ted Talk on a topic of their choosing. Currently the program is conducted virtually.
Learning Events
We curate learning events each semester based on our population's evolving needs.
These events focus on professional and personal development, covering topics such as career navigation, emotional intelligence, interpersonal effectiveness, leadership skills, and financial literacy.
Recent events have included:
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“More Than Interviewing Skills: How to Embrace Being First Gen”
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“From Financial Aid to Financial Independence”
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“The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting Your Career of Right”
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CSN and RiseFirst co-hosted a webinar from WSJ award winning author and first gen professional Gorick Ng on his book. The recorded webinar is full of great tips and is available for viewing: https://youtu.be/H2RxC_Xtl_o
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These events are both virtual and in-person. All events are free.
Networking and Social Events
Meet-and-greets for students and professionals to gather and interact provide our students informal spaces to gain exposure to professional culture, communication, and etiquette, to learn about different careers, and to build personal relationships with professionals and other first-gen college students.
Company Visits
Students gain real-world exposure to various industries by visiting companies.
Participating companies host groups of no more than 20 students at their offices to provide them with an insider’s overview of the industry. Staff will talk about their individual career paths and share insights on how to enter and advance in the industry.
