Career Center News
The Value of Career with Provost Mili
October 12, 2022
By: Madelynn Lutenski
“Caring, connecting, mentoring.” These are the words that Grand Valley State University’s Provost Dr. Fatma Mili uses to describe the GVSU Career Center.
As students begin their educational journey, it's important to start thinking about their careers early on. Whether that involves shadowing a professional in their field, gaining internship experience, volunteering, networking, or looking for employment opportunities, the GVSU Career Center is there to bridge the gap between students and employers.
Dr. Fatma Mili began her career as a receptionist and tutor, later gaining computing experience. After graduating from her Ph.D. program, Mili began a full-time faculty member position. Moving to the U.S. and planting her roots in Michigan, Mili was drawn to “The genesis of GVSU as a university created by the community for the community is a defining feature.”
Unlike the previous generation’s traditional path of career, the Provost believes that today’s students will have the opportunity to have multiple careers in their lifetime. Students will be able to reinvent themselves and have the chance to explore a variety of pathways.
“Their career choices upon graduation are choices of where to begin, not where to end. This is why we emphasize lifelong learning; it is the second pillar of GVSU’s Reach Higher 2025. Our graduates need to remain curious, remain learners, and continue to reinvent themselves and reinvent the world around them,” said Dr. Mili. “The earlier they start, the earlier they demystify the world of work and realize that, yes, they do have valuable competencies, unique qualities, and assets that the world can benefit from.”
Gaining valuable opportunities such as internships, part-time jobs, and participating in projects can exponentially increase students’ ability to land a full-time job after graduation. “I think it is an essential part of our students’ growth and development to work on concrete projects in realistic settings,” Provost Mili said.
These learning experiences are essential for validating career paths or exposing students to certain work that might not be for them. As for Mili, at the start of her career, she explored a variety of fields including math, computer science, and engineering. After being placed in an Agronomic Engineering program in France, Mili learned very quickly that dissecting animals was not for her.
The GVSU Career Center is there to help students reach their full potential by giving them the skills to meet with employers, explore their fields, and grow as professionals.
“We cannot expect our students to come in and know how to find their way in what careers there are, how to write a resume, how to interview, or how to conduct themselves in a different environment and the Career Center is there to facilitate and help students make connections,” Dr. Mili said.
Students looking for career guidance can drop into CareerLab or make an appointment with their Career Advisor through Handshake. To become more connected with fellow students, faculty, employers, and career content related to specific industry types, students are encouraged to join a Career Community. Communities provide information, opportunities for exploration, and connections related to your areas of interest. More career resources are available on the Career Center website.
Article written by Career Center Writin