The first UW–Madison Employee Conference, “Construct Your Career at UW,” takes place Tuesday, March 6, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. at Union South. The conference will help employees develop career management skills and explore their career paths while remaining employed at UW–Madison. Managers and supervisors are encouraged to approve requests from staff to attend.
UW–Madison is committed to retaining our talented, dedicated employees. One way we can boost retention is to help every employee, regardless of position, find ongoing professional opportunities and career satisfaction at the university.
Conference workshops are organized around the four stages of career management:
Survey. In this phase, employees are encouraged to look at where they are today, where they hope to be, and what they might need to learn or do to achieve that goal. Workshops help with assessment, self-reflection, and career exploration.
Design. Employees learn how to build a career plan, whether it is general or highly specific. Workshops supporting the design phase will help employees design a road map for their next career moves.
Execute. Conference workshops will provide specific skills and tools to help employees work through their career plan.
Maintain. Employees who plan to maintain their current role still need to keep skills up-to-date, stay current in their industry, and network with others. Conference workshops will build skills for the maintaining phase, up to and including planning for retirement.
In addition to the concurrent workshops, the conference also features a welcome from Chancellor Rebecca Blank, a keynote presentation on generational differences by Sarah Gibson, and a resource fair showcasing campus-based resources that support career development.
Attendees may come and go throughout the day based on their interests and schedules. Registration is due by Monday, Feb. 19 and includes workshops, the keynote session, and a complimentary lunch. If space remains after that date, registrations will be accepted but will not include the complimentary lunch. Conference details and a registration link can be found at hr.wisc.edu/employee-career-conference.