Student Employee Forum

Option A – Self Awareness: What Do You Need in a Workplace? (Guided Leadership Opportunities and Development; Student Leadership Program; Office for Student Organizations, Leadership & Involvement)

Self Awareness is an essential skill for student employment and post-graduate careers. This session invites students to explore what it means to show up authentically and advocate for their needs in the workplace. By understanding what you bring to the table and what you value from others, you can identify experiences where you positively contribute to the community and where the community supports you as well. Students will learn how to play an active role in creating healthy work environments by understanding what they need to thrive in the workplace and what the workplace needs from them. By building a culture of community care, we can learn to bridge intergenerational differences and find common ground within diverse teams.

Option B – Feedback Frenzy with Ashley Unmacht (UW Housing Residence Life)

Communicating with empathy is essential for building trust within teams, fostering collaboration across departments, and navigating workplace change. This breakout session will introduce practical strategies for giving and receiving feedback in ways that strengthen relationships. Students will learn how to create environments that enhance customer service and team culture while adapting their communication to support both customers and coworkers experiencing change, uncertainty, or stress. By the end of the workshop, participants will feel more confident in their ability to communicate effectively in challenging situations while maintaining empathy and professionalism.

Option A – Leading from where you are: Alumni Student Employee Panel

Leadership is about more than titles and authority. Rather, it is about influence, impact, and the ability to drive change from where you are. This breakout session will explore how students can lead for change at all levels by focusing on what they can control and recognizing what is beyond their influence. Participants will gain strategies from our panel of alumni student employees for practicing inclusive leadership and fostering resilience to empower themselves and others. Following the workshop, students will understand how to be inclusive leaders within their current roles.

Option B – Level Up Your Student Job: Transferable Skills and How to Talk About Them (Office of Human Resources: Chris East & Anika Gilbertson)

Every campus job—no matter the role—builds real skills that employers value. In this hands-on session, student employees will learn how to recognize the strengths gained through their work, use AI ethically to refine their experiences, and confidently communicate their value to future employers in their chosen careers.

Objectives:

• Recognize your marketable skill strengths gained through student employment
• Use AI responsibly and ethically to clarify your experience and highlight your value to future employers
• Communicate your transferable skills confidently into career-focused accomplishments