Brewing Bold Ideas in Career Services: The Career Sip Magazine, September Edition

Career services in higher education have never been more complex—or more essential. From international student mobility and postgraduate career transitions to rethinking how we design workshops for Gen Z, career professionals are being asked to do more than ever before.

The September edition of The Career Sip Magazine takes on these challenges head-on. Powered by CareerOS, this issue brings together voices from across the higher ed landscape to spark new thinking, share practical strategies, and highlight what it takes to build career services that truly connect.

Here’s a closer look at what you’ll find inside.

Beyond Networking: Building Communities That Last

We’ve all heard the advice: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” But for many international students, arriving in a new country means starting from scratch—with limited networks and little idea where to begin.

In his feature, Daniel Pack, Career Exploration Specialist at Syracuse University, challenges the traditional view of networking. Drawing on more than a decade of experience supporting international students, Daniel shares how he reimagined career support as community-building.

Instead of chasing contacts, students are invited to build communities rooted in curiosity, shared goals, and authentic connection. From International Student Day to creative programming like etiquette dinners and networking weeks, Daniel’s initiatives help students gain confidence, clarity, and opportunities.

His philosophy is clear: networking isn’t about collecting business cards—it’s about building a community that grows with you. For career advisors, this mindset shift can mean the difference between students feeling isolated or truly supported as they launch their careers.

Supporting the Unique Challenges of Postgraduate Students

Postgraduate students face hurdles that undergraduates often don’t. They’re older, more specialized, and balancing unique pressures—whether it’s navigating visa restrictions, planning for international careers, or transitioning back into their home country job markets.

At Loughborough University, Careers Coach Poonam Sharma has built a suite of tailored “Futures” programs—International Futures, Master’s Futures, and PhD Futures—that directly address these distinct needs.

Her results speak for themselves: in just one year, bookings for International Futures soared from 217 to 879, while Master’s Futures nearly doubled in engagement. But beyond the numbers lies something even more powerful: students reporting that the guidance feels relevant to who they are and where they’re headed.

Poonam’s work underscores a vital point for the higher ed community: postgraduate students can’t be served with one-size-fits-all support. When provision reflects the real journeys students are on, career services move from being helpful to being transformational.

The New Era of Workshops

Career workshops have long been a staple of campus programming—but are they still effective in their traditional format?

This issue explores how advisors are redesigning workshops not as lectures, but as launchpads. Instead of passively listening, students become active participants, shaping their own career journeys through interactive, experiential, and even gamified approaches.

From mock international interviews to AI-powered tools that let students test résumés against job postings, workshops are evolving into experiences students actually remember—and reuse later.

As Albert Segura Mollà puts it: “Workshops aren’t about filling an hour. They’re about creating a moment students will remember and reuse later.”

Resources Worth Your Time

We know the internet is full of career-related webinars and panels—but not all of them are worth attending. That’s why each edition of The Career Sip Magazine curates standout sessions you can watch on demand.

This issue features conversations on personal branding, international student support, and career innovation labs that are genuinely worth a coffee break (or two).

Why You’ll Want This Edition on Your Desk

The September issue of The Career Sip Magazine isn’t just another roundup of ideas. It’s a carefully brewed collection of stories, strategies, and insights designed for one goal: helping career professionals support students in ways that are bold, empathetic, and future-ready.

Whether you’re working with international students, guiding postgraduates, or simply trying to make your next workshop resonate with Gen Z, this edition will leave you with practical tools and fresh inspiration.

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