How NCCU Clears Paths for Grads in a Crowded Job Market

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Written by Jen McGivney

When Brayden Smith visited the Career and Professional Development Center at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) for the first time, the staff had to ask him to speak up. The freshman from Jacksonville, N.C. was quiet and shy. Smith had a compelling reason to overcome his nerves, however: In a tough job market, career preparation can’t wait until graduation.

During the three years since, Smith has presented at conferences around the country to hundreds of people. He’s been a leader in NCCU’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development and the campus ambassador for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. He’s studied in Spain and Panama. This summer, Smith is an intern in Charlotte with Ally Bank’s Legal and Corporate Affairs Division, a position he discovered at a campus job fair.

“Someone told me that it’s not just about the grades you make but the hands you shake,” Smith says. “You want to have a good grade point average, but just about every college student has that. You want to set yourself up so that one day, you’re not walking across the graduation stage about to shake the chancellor’s hand and wondering, ‘Now what?’”

Through its career pathways, NCCU turns “Now what?” into “What’s next?” They give students like Smith access to cutting-edge centers and institutes, industry connections, and personal coaching. With each step, NCCU students gain the competence and confidence to advance from campus to career.

Not Their Parents’ Job Market

Launching a career today is different than it was a generation ago. Charles Jennings, the executive director of Career and Student Success at NCCU, remembers how it was in the 90’s: Someone graduated, they applied to jobs, and if they were qualified, they got an interview. Today, with overcrowded fields that change at the speed of AI, grads face tougher odds.

“The job seeker pool is so big now, and not only are industries changing, but the ways that they recruit and accept applicants are changing as well,” Jennings says. “It’s an ever-evolving landscape.”

To give students an edge, NCCU builds on its industry connections to ensure that what’s taught in classrooms reflects what’s happening in offices, hospitals, and labs beyond campus. The institutes within the university represent North Carolina’s top fields, including the Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Institute (BBRI) and the Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE). NCCU is part of the reason why these fields are flourishing in the state: When companies consider relocating, they often meet with leaders to ensure that a workforce is here to support them. NCCU has a seat at that table, and they give these companies the answers they hope to hear.

“I always tell my students: Companies are moving here because they see that we have the workforce talent. They’re looking for people who are going to be well trained, like you are,” says Kevin Williams, Ph.D., Merck Professor in Integrated Biosciences at BRITE. “NCCU is meeting their workforce talent needs. That’s part of our role.”

For twenty years, BRITE has produced graduates—at both the undergraduate and master’s level—prepared to enter the pharmaceutical industry. At NCCU, they get significant lab-based training. Students learn what it takes to create a drug and then to advance it through clinical trials and onto FDA approval. That knowledge and experience is what biomanufacturing, pharmaceutical and clinical research companies seek

In addition to industry training, NCCU challenges students to be original and critical thinkers. Its School of Law, under the leadership of newly-appointed dean, and respected legal scholar Joseph Carl Grant, is one of six law schools at HBCUs and is ranked among the most innovative law schools in the country. Its Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development isn’t just for business majors; it’s also for aspiring chemists who want to develop a cosmetics line or future doctors who will open their own practices one day. Its Institute for Artificial intelligence and Emerging Research, the only AI institute at an HBCU, educates students of all majors about the applications, regulations, and ethics of AI.

“The misconception is that AI is going to replace jobs, but the conversation needs to be about how AI will enhance jobs,” Jennings says. “Some employers want new hires to be more AI enabled so they can be more efficient in their work. Making sure our students are abreast of AI keeps them competitive in the workforce.”

Conversations and Connections

At times, the best career development tool can be a simple conversation. In addition to the institutes and internships, NCCU’s Career and Professional Development Center serves as a comfortable place for students to receive and share support. A third of the students are first-generation college students, so this encouragement and advice can be critical for someone who’s navigating a transition that no one else in their family has.

“Yes, students need to know about networking and interviewing and negotiating, but sometimes there are deeper things that need to be addressed, too,” Jennings says. “We’re accessible. Our passion to help students shines through, so they come to see us about career-related matters, but they also see us for other things they need help with.”

The result is a career center that invites students to shop from a large closet of professional clothes to take what they need—for free—for networking events or interviews. It’s a career center with a photo booth for anyone who needs a headshot. It’s a career center that hosts Candid Career Conversations, events that address subjects like imposter syndrome, personal branding, and financial literacy.

And it’s a center that will see the return of a familiar face next year. As Smith was deciding where to work during his senior year, he chose a role that’s close to his heart: as a counselor at the career center. It’ll be his turn to help nervous freshmen gain the confidence to shake new hands, to discover opportunities in NCCU’s centers, institutes, and job fairs, and to perpetually ask, “What’s next?”