Students wanting a head-start on internships, career planning, and networking are signing up for the 2023 Beloit College Career Accelerator.

Alumni and Beloit faculty will lead 40-plus Zoom sessions, engaging students with real-life advice and group discussions during the Jan. 9-18 event.

Career Works Director Jessica Fox-Wilson says not to expect the same-old, same-old sessions.

“Career Accelerator is fun,” Fox-Wilson says. “It is not like sitting through a resume workshop for the 900th time. There will be interesting topics, led by alumni and faculty members who have a good insight into life after college.”

Career-morphing alums, like a journalist-turned lawyer and middle-school-teacher-turned-college dean, will share advice at the “My First Five Jobs” keynote panel on Jan. 9.

“We see super-successful people, and we just assume that they just landed there, but that’s not the case,” Fox-Wilson says. “Beloiters have winding and diverse careers; these alumni share different versions of careers.”

Alums with successful careers in art, dance, media studies, music, and theater will lead sessions on transitioning effortlessly from college to career.

Recent graduates will share their know-how on how to sell their skills and experience to a prospective employer. Students can also join a Q & A for a deeper dive.

Career Channels has hosted some of the most popular Career Accelerator sessions in past years’ programs. This year, students can find out how to be professional and still keep it real in the healthcare industry.

“The winter break is a great time for regrouping,” Fox-Wilson says. “After relaxing over the holidays, you can start thinking of those higher life goals: ‘What are my values, what do I want to do with my life, and how do I plan for it? The Career Accelerator can absolutely help with that.”

Career Accelerator is also a great answer for loved ones inquiring during the “how-are-you-going-to-use-your-degree” dinner table discussion.“Tell them you are attending the Career Accelerator, so you can get ready,” Fox-Wilson says.

Career Accelerator 2023 sessions are free and open to current and prospective students. Several hundred students have attended annually since the career-boosting program started in 2020, picking and choosing sessions that work for them.

“There is no need to do every session. Even if you do just one that looks interesting, you are putting yourself ahead,” Fox-Wilson says. “It is up to you how much you want to engage.”

Students can also win some swag during the Career Accelerator. The more sessions they attend, the better chance to win a raffle prize.

The biggest benefit of the Career Accelerator is the edge it gives students for their post-Beloit lives. Fox-Wilson says student surveys and data analysis back this up.

“Students who attend Career Accelerator sessions are more likely to get a job or be accepted to graduate school,” Fox-Wilson says. “And 94 percent of attendees reported they were better prepared for the next steps after Beloit.”

That is a good enough reason to spend a little time in January to prepare for a lifetime of success.

Check out the 2023 Career Accelerator events and RSVP today.