From Classroom to Career: How Resources and Experiences Shape STEM Undergraduates

A crucial component of university education is career readiness. In some programs, the key differentiators in securing employment and admission into professional schools include work and research experience. While literature investigates how resource utilization, work, and research experience affect student learning outcomes, a gap exists in understanding students’ perceptions of the benefits received from these resources and experiences. This study analyzes the critical resources and experiences that undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students perceive as the most impactful in shaping their comprehension of their degree tracks and future professional careers through Career Self-Determination Theory. This paper employs inductive thematic analysis to examine and interpret the data collected from semi-structured interviews with 11 undergraduate students enrolled in various STEM degrees. The analysis revealed that students utilized communication with various professionals and peers as the most beneficial resource, and they reflected on the perceived benefits derived from engagement in various work-related or research-oriented experiences. The emergent themes in this study illuminate students’ perspectives regarding their engagement with information sources and the impacts of experiential learning opportunities in shaping students’ professional development.