Nicole Hall, director of career and professional development (CPD) at UNC Greensboro, has been elected to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Board of Directors. Her two-year term will begin for 2021-2022. NACE is a professional organization that connects 9,500+ college career services professionals and 3100+ university relations and recruiting professionals.
As a director on the board, Hall will contribute to strategies to advance equitable, evidence-based practices; create leading content, research and professional development opportunities; and enable robust professional networks.
Her work will not only benefit UNCG locally, but is national in scope. Last year, Hall participated as a featured presenter in a session hosted by NACE in partnership with the International Network of Employers and University Career Services, where they reflected on COVID impacts in the United States, United Kingdom, and Asia. NACE also hosts an annual conference which engages professionals from around the world.
Hall’s work with NACE will help elevate UNCG’s profile. Hall’s placement on the board is very visible within the university career development industry and beyond.
“I will have a seat at the table to shape the field of career services and to drive innovative practices which can create positive impacts for how we pursue our work here in UNCG Career & Professional Development,” Hall said.
“In my role with NACE, I will be exposed to compelling industry-wide challenges and will be an active participant in coming up with innovative solutions. I will also lead highly visible initiatives focused on addressing key opportunities within the field. This leadership opportunity will not only allow me to represent UNCG while making a mark on our industry, but it will also position me to continue to elevate the work we are doing in CPD.”
And what does Hall do in her role as the director of career and professional development at UNCG?
“I lead a talented team of corporate/community relations specialists, career development coaches and operations support administrators,” she said. “Our objective is to help students find their career direction, connect with prospective employers and graduate school programs, engage in internships, and develop the competencies they need to execute a successful job search and perform effectively on the job.”
Community members may not be aware of all the things that CPD can help with.
“One of my favorite offerings is professional headshots. Students can schedule an appointment to get their headshot taken for use on social media,” Hall said. “This has grown in popularity and several faculty now include this as an assignment in their course. We also offer 1:1 career coaching, present career readiness sessions in academic courses, host a number of annual career fairs, and coordinate campus-wide student employment.”
Like with everything else on campus, CPD has had to adjust their approach during the pandemic.
Hall says, “Like so many others on campus, we have scaled our offerings to deliver virtually. The most significant transition has been moving our career fairs to a virtual format. Our office, the employers, and the students all miss the face-to-face experience, however in the virtual environment we have successfully connected hundreds of students with employers seeking interns and full-time hires. We have also shifted our 1:1 coaching and drop-in hours to a virtual format which has been effective for students.”
For more information on UNCG’s CPD, visit their website.
Story by Matthew Bryant, University Communications
