Your Path to Success Starts with Personalized Support – From Enrollment to Career Advancement

Thinking about going back to school? Looking to boost your skill set or launch a new career? UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s (CPE) suite of personalized Student Services can help you get started, stay on track and support your professional growth. Here’s how.  

Connect with an enrollment coach to set your course for success

Our dedicated team of enrollment coaches plays a vital role in assisting students. With a career-focused approach and one-on-one support, our enrollment coaches can guide you through your options for achieving your professional goals. “What I enjoy most about coaching students is their excitement and drive,” says enrollment coach Kristy Craig. “Getting to know their background and building on their present knowledge allows students the opportunity to create the future they are striving for.”  

Here are some of the ways our enrollment coaches can support you.  

Aligning your goals with the program that’s right for you

The first thing our enrollment coaches do is listen. Understanding your goals and needs, as well as your personal situation (working full time, kids, preference for remote learning), is the first step to finding the course of study and format that’s the right fit for you and your schedule.  

Understanding enrollment requirements

For most of our programs, the enrollment process is quick and easy. That said, each academic program has different requirements, including time commitments, structure, costs and potential prerequisites. Our enrollment coaches will walk you through what’s expected for each program, and even help you explore options for meeting any necessary prerequisites.  

Figuring out your finances

Education is an investment and overcoming the financial hurdle is no joke. Our enrollment coaches can go over resources for financing your education and connect you with our dedicated financial counselors who will guide you through your options, including if your employer can help cover costs and identifying financial assistance that may be available to you.  

Guiding you through the enrollment or application process

Need help with your application or course registration? Our enrollment coaches are on hand to help make sure you check all the boxes, meet deadlines and troubleshoot any issues you may encounter throughout the process.  

Lean on our student resources for “classroom” support

Your success in the classroom—whether it be in Davis, Sacramento or online—matters. That’s why we have a variety of student resources available to empower you and ensure you have a successful student experience at CPE. We also are proud to offer services for students with disabilities and veteran’s education benefits.  

After enrolling in a course, you’ll be connected with one of our public education specialists, who will be your point of contact throughout your course of study. They are committed to your success and often attend course kickoffs, monitor discussion forums, check student progress and are available to answer logistical questions regarding administrative course support. They are also in close contact with instructors.  

As an online student, you have access to the same resources as students in the classroom, plus a wealth of online learning resources specifically designed to help you succeed as an online student, including tutorials for navigating the online classroom on Canvas. Courses are designed to be convenient, interactive, engaging and intuitive.  

Take advantage of free career resources

We offer a full suite of resources to ensure you have the support you need to take the next step in your career journey. “We take our students’ success seriously, and we’re committed to offering a full range of career resources,” says Melissa Marbach, registrar and director of Student Services. “We want to support our students through every phase of their professional development, from performing initial career research to creating a powerful résumé and acing the interview.”  

As a current or former CPE student, you have free access to these tools, through our Career Resources platform. Learn more on our website or go straight to the Career Resources portal by logging in to your student account (just click “Sign in” in the upper right corner on our website). You’ll be prompted to create a free Career Resources account, and then you’ll be on your way!  

Here’s what you’ll find there.  

Tools for creating a career action plan

Create a scaffold for your career with a custom-designed action plan that helps you set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based) goals with a succinct series of achievable steps. You can also search a vast database of professions to get data on key skills and what you can expect to be paid. This tool also lets you compare two careers based on salary, skills, education requirements and more.  

Résumé builder and interviewing practice

Start fresh by building a new résumé or importing your existing résumé into our custom builder. Use the Résumé Checklist as a guideline to ensure you’re including everything potential employers want to see. For step-by-step help, use the Résumé Workshop to create a powerful accomplishment-based résumé. You can also view résumé samples and get help writing a cover letter or pitch statement.  

When it comes time for the big interview, hone your skills through a focused workshop and use sample questions to create a video interview, which will allow you to build your strengths and improve on your weaknesses. The platform offers industry-specific questions to help you become a competitive candidate in your field, and even provides customizable thank-you note templates.  

Job search and networking tools

Search available opportunities in the Job Search tool and set customized alerts to learn about new opportunities as soon as they become available.  

Our Career Resources Platform also offers guidance for identifying strong connections in your field, expanding your network with the right people and making sure your social media profiles give the best possible impression. If you don’t have social media, there’s tools available to help you get set up.  You can also optimize your existing profiles for career success.  

To start your journey, view our courses and programs or contact an enrollment coach for help getting started.