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Centre for Career Design
The Schulich Centre for Career Design (CCD) provides a wide range of innovative programs, services, and resources designed to help students identify, pursue, and achieve their career aspirations. By combining personalized career support with industry insights and employer engagement opportunities, CCD helps students build meaningful career paths and secure opportunities with leading organizations. This approach has contributed to Schulich’s consistently strong employment outcomes and reputation among top recruiters.
At the heart of our work is a Career Design approach that integrates Design Thinking methodology with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Career Readiness Competencies.
Design Thinking and Career Design
Design Thinking is a human-centered, iterative process used to create, test, and refine ideas, solutions, and experiences. Rather than following a linear path, it encourages experimentation, reflection, and continuous improvement through five key stages: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test.
Applied to career development, Career Design empowers students to intentionally shape their professional journeys by exploring opportunities, testing possibilities, and making informed decisions that align with their values, interests, strengths, and personal and professional goals.
NACE Career Readiness Competencies
The NACE Career Readiness Competencies are a nationally recognized framework of skills and attributes that employers value across industries. These competencies support lifelong career success and help students develop the capabilities needed to thrive in an evolving workplace.
The eight NACE competencies include: Career & Self-Development, Communication, Critical Thinking, Equity & Inclusion, Leadership, Professionalism, Teamwork, and Technology.
By combining Design Thinking with the NACE competencies, the Schulich Centre for Career Design equips students with the mindset, skills, and confidence needed to navigate their careers and succeed in a rapidly changing world.
