This interview is part of DrexelNEWS’ recurring feature — “How Does it Work?” — spotlighting operational or administrative departments, teams or processes you might not know about, but who keep the Drexel cogs moving each and every day!
If you’ve participated in the performance development process, completed annual required enterprise learning and/or opened your fair share of emails from HR over the years, you’ve certainly encountered Career Pathway, Drexel’s professional development resource platform. However, did you know Career Pathway has a self-paced course catalog and themed highlighted courses? How about a section for setting/tracking goals?
The University’s Talent Development team — Assistant Director of Talent Development Kathy Choy, Talent Development Partner Susan Hackett and Talent Development Specialist Kiana Porter — gave a full rundown of everything Career Pathway has to offer to Drexel faculty and professional staff.
Q: What is the purpose of Career Pathway?
A: Career Pathway is a professional development hub for benefits-eligible faculty and professional staff members and adjunct faculty. Members of the community can use it to register for in-person and virtual information sessions and workshops, take self-paced online courses and certificates, complete required courses, check out recommended resources, set and track goals, and participate in formal performance development.
Q: Why is it important for Drexel employees to know about Career Pathway?
A: Professional development is an important building block in career progression, and the Drexel Human Resources Talent Development team is committed to supporting professional development at all career stages. The professional development resources provided through Career Pathway support and empower members of our community, giving them opportunities to demonstrate new skills and shine in new ways.
Additionally, faculty and professional staff members are required to complete specific courses upon hire and annually, and Career Pathway is the platform where most of those requirements are accessed.
Finally, Career Pathway provides space to formally set and track goals throughout the year and to complete performance development activities. Professional staff can find more information on using these functions on the Performance Development website. Faculty can find guidance on the Faculty Annual Review website.
Q: How does it work to utilize Career Pathway? Break down the process of accessing it and discovering all its features and resources.
A: You can access Career Pathway by logging into DrexelOne and navigating to the Employee tab; it’s the first option under the My Career heading. On the Career Pathway welcome page, you’ll see Your Transcript on the left side of the screen – this is where assigned courses (such as enterprise learning) will appear. Hover over the Learning tab and select Events Calendar for a calendar listing of upcoming virtual events and workshops. Check out the complete video tour of Career Pathway for a full breakdown of its many options and features. Note: Drexel log-in is required to view the tour.
Q: What are the top features and opportunities available to Drexel employees on Career Pathway you wish more folks knew about?
A: One great feature is the highlighted courses channel, which can be found on the Career Pathway welcome page. This feature is updated regularly to recommend online courses on timely topics.
Another offering is the Featured Video, also on the welcome page. We regularly spotlight videos that offer nuggets of wisdom, tools, approaches and strategies that support professional development and human connection. One example is “Why Your Critics Aren't the Ones Who Count with Brené Brown,” in which Brown offers an empowering message about whose opinion does count (spoiler alert, it’s those who want to help you succeed in the future) and why the opinions of those who criticize on a personal level with no intention of supporting your success don’t count.
Q: What are some recent examples of Career Pathway opportunities in action? Has Talent Development added anything new lately?
A: About a year ago, the Talent Development team introduced “Leadership at Every Level,” a philosophy based on the premise that everyone can be a leader, regardless of their formal title. This philosophy provides a framework for building leadership at Drexel, at the individual, team and organizational levels.
Through multi-media learning experiences, all “Leadership at Every Level “development offerings are engaging, accessible, challenging, relevant and reflect our shared values, inspiring inclusive practices and encouraging wellbeing for self and others.
Just as Drexel embodies excellence in education for our students, “Leadership at Every Level” strives to embody excellence in professional development for Drexel faculty and professional staff.
To build on this foundation, we created over 100 new certificate programs on a variety of topics, from supporting individuals who are new to a professional environment to providing guidance to experienced managers on fostering their direct reports’ professional development and providing feedback effectively. These certificate programs are completed in Career Pathway.
Q: What kind of feedback have you received from Drexel employees about Talent Development’s Career Pathway offerings?
A: Recently, our colleague in the Department of Public Safety, Director of Communications & Accreditation Caneshia Bailey, shared her experience exploring Career Pathway:
“Career Pathway can help you, as a manager, create a plan that closes career gaps, especially if you use its offerings to create a structured framework that allows employees to reflect on their progress throughout.
I love both the quick trainings and the longer training sessions; there are so many choices. Career Pathway is a resume builder as well.
As a manager, when someone from your team shares that they took the initiative to sign up for a course and successfully completed it, it’s more than just good news; it’s a moment that reflects growth, ownership and engagement. When an employee is happy and proud to share their accomplishments, this means they are recognizing their own progress and ultimately feel empowered. This is an example of powerful motivation. This type of enthusiasm helps me figure out how I can guide them and encourage them to continue to invest in themselves.”
If you have any feedback to share on your experience, we’re all ears! Just email hrlearn@drexel.edu.
Q: Where’s the best source for browsing a full list of Career Pathway courses and certificates?
A: We’ve previously received feedback that some folks find it challenging to find online courses and certificates on topics of interest because our course library is so comprehensive, so we created a course catalogue on SharePoint, where users can view and access online courses filtered by subject. (The link to the catalogue is also on the Career Pathway welcome page.) In the catalogue, you can choose a subject from the buttons on the left and see a variety of online courses on that subject. Hover over the course to see a full course description, and if you’d like to take the course, the link at the end of the description takes you right to it on Career Pathway.
Q: How can the community contact Talent Development for answers to questions or for more information about offerings in Career Pathway?
A: We love to answer questions about professional development! You can contact us at hrlearn@drexel.edu and we’ll be happy to help.
Q: Are there any other related services or events you’d like to let the community know about?
A: We know how essential professional development is for Drexel faculty and professional staff and for those who are interested in joining the Drexel community. Equally important, people need to feel that the organization cares about and supports their growth. That is why Drexel offers a wide variety of professional development opportunities – not just those that are available in Career Pathway, but also tuition remission for degree programs and certificates. You can learn more on the Your Career tab and the Tuition Remission page on the HR website.