The Experience Gap: Aligning Student Preparation with Employer Expectations

Bartlett Academic Success Center 306

Students often struggle to understand what “counts” as experience, while employers prioritize skills that don’t always align with how students or faculty define them. This session explores the disconnect between how students, faculty, and employers define “experience” and how career services professionals can help bridge that gap. Drawing from professional experience in HR and higher education recruiting, it examines the “experience gap” through the lens of real-world hiring practices.

Session Outcomes

Recognize differences between how students, faculty, and employers define experience
Identify what types of experience employers prioritize and why
Apply strategies to help students translate academic and informal experiences into relevant, marketable skills