The CAPS Professional Development Series returns this fall with three virtual sessions focused on networking, career development and workplace communication.
Offered by WashU Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS), the fall series begins Oct. 22 and continues through Nov. 12. All three sessions will be held virtually from 6 to 7 p.m.
For CAPS Dean Sean Armstrong, the series is another way CAPS can support students as they pursue their educational and professional goals.
“CAPS students bring significant professional and life experience to the classroom, and their goals extend well beyond earning a credential,” Armstrong said. “The Professional Development Series gives them another opportunity to build practical skills, make connections and take what they are learning into the next stage of their careers.”
Making connections with intention
The fall series begins Oct. 22 with Intentional Networking: Making Your Minutes Matter, presented by Rhonda Travers.
Whether participants are pursuing career advancement, shifting careers or expanding their professional networks, the session will focus on making meaningful connections and approaching professional conversations with confidence and authenticity.
Travers will explore how first impressions affect perceptions of credibility, personality and expertise and introduce an intentional networking framework for building meaningful business relationships.
Participants will also develop their own “marketing moment” designed to help them enter their next room or conversation with confidence, clarity and authenticity.
Oct. 22 from 6 to 7 p.m.
Rhonda Travers
Intentional Networking: Making Your Minutes Matter
Taking ownership of your career
On Nov. 5, Chris Knobbe will present Own Your Career, an interactive session focused on helping participants take a more intentional approach to their professional journeys.
Participants will explore how to define their professional identity, recognize their strengths, build their personal brand and identify opportunities for growth. The session will also examine how artificial intelligence (AI) can serve as a practical career development tool, helping participants explore career paths and industry trends, identify skill gaps, strengthen professional goals, prepare for networking conversations and create actionable career plans.
Through reflection and practical strategies, participants will consider how to move from a reactive approach to an ownership mindset, build relationships that support their growth and identify concrete steps they can take over the next 30 to 90 days to move their careers forward.
Knobbe brings experience building high-performing teams, developing talent and helping others grow and advance in their careers. Her leadership background includes strategic problem-solving, organizational change, clear communication and creating environments that encourage continuous learning.
Nov. 5 from 6 to 7 p.m.
Chris Knobbe
Own Your Career
CAPS Career Specialist Jaquelin Meaders Booth said the Professional Development Series provides another resource for students as they consider their professional goals.
“Professional development isn’t something that begins after graduation,” Meaders Booth said. “CAPS students are already bringing experience into their classrooms and workplaces. These sessions give them an opportunity to build on that experience, develop new strategies and make more intentional decisions about what comes next.”
Understanding how you communicate
The fall series concludes Nov. 12 with Communicator Types: What Type of Communicator Are You?, led by Karen Jarrett.
Are you direct and to the point? Are you skilled at building relationships? Or are you more introverted and focused on the technical details of your work?
The session will help participants identify what type of communicator they are, recognize the strengths and weaknesses associated with their communication style and learn how to communicate effectively with other types.
Jarrett is a senior IT program manager and release train engineer with more than 35 years of experience leading complex technology initiatives across global enterprises. Her work has included leading multimillion-dollar programs, aligning technology strategy with business objectives and fostering cross-functional collaboration.
An international best-selling author, Jarrett is also an advocate for education and health equity. She received the St. Louis Business Journal’s Community Fire Award for her role as a co-founder of the Access Point Program. She also serves on boards and committees in the education sector, United Way and the cancer community, contributing her experience to efforts supporting education, cancer research and patient advocacy.
