Career Trek Planning and FAQs
Career Trek Planning
University of Delaware Career Treks are site visits to companies located within a specific geographic region or industry. They are designed to provide an insider’s view of an organization’s employment opportunities and culture.
Several academic departments have used Career Trek Grants to fund visits to the headquarters of URBN, Yelp, the Marriott, the Fox Chase Cancer Center and the Ketchum PR Agency.
Plan Your Trek
- How many students can you accommodate?
- What is the time frame for the visit? Should we arrive early to allow time for check-in?
- Do you need any information in advance, such as students' and faculty members' names, email addresses, class years and majors? If so, when do you need this information?
- Do we need to bring anything on the day of the event, such as photo identification or nondisclosure agreements?
- Depending on the time of the visit, can you provide food or refreshments? Will students have an opportunity to purchase anything onsite?
- May we share your contact information with students after the event for future networking? Are there additional colleagues whose contact information we may share?
- Are there any specific parking instructions we should share with our bus driver?
- Are there any onsite restrictions, such as restrictions on phones or photography, or specific dress requirements?
- What is the agenda for the visit? For example, will it include a tour, a company overview, or meetings with different departments?
- Allow ample time for rush-hour traffic when creating your final agenda.
- Obtain the physical address for drop-off and pick-up locations.
- If stopping at multiple locations, allow time for travel and for loading and unloading the bus.
- Collect both cell phone and office phone numbers for your onsite contacts.
- Consider purchasing small thank-you gifts for your site hosts.
- Depending on the trip's duration, consider providing snacks or refreshments for students or encouraging them to bring their own snacks and water.
- Remind students to dress appropriately for the weather, walking and meeting with employers.
- Encourage students to research the companies before the trip or while traveling to the sites so they can prepare questions and know the overall scope of the site visit.
- Determine how you will manage attendance information.
- Collect emergency contact information for all participating students, including cell phone numbers, emergency contact details, and information about allergies and medications. Students younger than 17 must have permission from a parent or guardian to participate.
- Choose a central pick-up and drop-off location for students. The UD Career Center is happy to serve as the meeting point so we can check students in for the event.
- After the trip, consider sending thank-you notes to your site hosts to maintain relationships and encourage future visits.
Faculty FAQs
The faculty member or program advisor is responsible for securing the Career Trek location. The UD Career Center can assist in identifying sites if given ample lead time.
The faculty member or program advisor is responsible for securing bus transportation. The UD Career Center can provide contact information for local bus providers.
Large charter buses can accommodate up to 56 passengers. We recommend limiting the group to 50 students to accommodate faculty and UD Career Center staff members.
Once the outcome information (e.g., student attendees, outcome survey and complete expense list) has been provided to the UD Career Center.
You may apply for one grant per semester.
Grant money may not be used for alcohol or on food purchases that exceed $25 per student in attendance.
Once you have a general outline for your event, reach out to the UD Career Center. The earlier you connect with us, the better, to ensure a seamless event for you and the students.
The grant requestor is ultimately responsible for student outreach. The UD Career Center is happy to assist with outreach. However, the faculty members or departments are the driving force behind a successful event.
Any repercussions established by faculty should be clearly communicated to students before applications open. If a student needs to decline after being accepted to the Career Trek, we recommend requiring written notice at least two business days before the event to inform the site host of the change.
The UD Career Center is part of the Division of Student Life, which advances equity and inclusion, deepens student learning and drives holistic development through education, experiences and communities.
