Career field exploration directions

Career Field Exploration

The faculty in the School of Community Resources and Development (SCRD) at Arizona State University recognizes that the careers that students seek in our undergraduate programs require more than classroom learning. All in-person students in the School of Community Resources and Development are required to fulfill a minimum of 100 Career Field Exploration (CFE) hours to learn about options, organizations, and pathways in fields of interest. Students also complete a culminating internship experience to apply their knowledge, refine their skills and launch their careers. Recreational therapy interns share their reflections from career field experiences.

 Questions? Contact your advisor (scrdadvising@asu.edu)

Requirements

Prior to enrolling in PRM/TDM/NLM/RTH 463 Senior Internship, all SCRD students are required to complete a total of 100 hours of paid or volunteer CFE experiences. Please Click for a list of Therapeutic Recreation Core competencies

Career Field Exploration Guidelines  
  1. A student may submit a maximum of 50 hours with one agency 
  2. The experience can be at an established organization related to the major, club activities, research with a faculty member, volunteer activities, CFE enrichment activities associated with classes.

 

Steps to submitting CFE Hours

  1. Click this link to submit the CFE Form and fill it out
  2. Enter supervisors email address when requested
  3. Supervisor will sign electronically
  4. A final signed copy will be sent to supervisor and to you.
  5. Submit this final copy via canvas visit: https://canvas.asu.edu/courses/19453
CFE FAQs

Q: What if I already have more than 100 CFEs hours completed?

A: Congrats! You are now well beyond the minimum of 100 hours which means you will be ready for an internship once your core classes are complete.

 

Q: Why were CFEs reduced so drastically?

A: COVID-19 found students struggling to find the opportunities to earn CFEs that were more readily available in the past.  Some industries will take time to recover. After evaluating our students' obstacles and our related fields these changes were made in response. The shift has been made to challenge students to find QUALITY CFEs instead of larger QUANTITIES of CFEs.

 

Q: So now I can earn CFEs through the classes I take?

A: Yes, under certain conditions. You cannot earn CFEs for doing work that is required to earn the grade in the course but CAN earn CFEs if you go beyond the requirements/work of the course and interact with the organization and community beyond those requirements. Example: In Alecia’s class, students engage in the planning of a community gardening event including a site visit and a 3-hour shift where her group members implement their project together on-site. Alecia cannot earn CFEs for this. If Alecia volunteers to serve four additional hours helping the host organization register and assist attendees at the information desk, she can earn CFE hours for those additional duties and contributions that are over and above class requirements. 

 

Q: Can I get CFEs for my current job?

A: That depends. Is your current job directly related to your major and the SCRD Core Competencies? Is this job expanding your reach and moving you in the direction you want to go in your field? Example: Example: Alex is a Community Sports Management major. He has a current job at the Scottsdale Parks & Recreation Center serving as a referee for intramural sports. This relevant experience can count for some of his CFEs. He knows he needs to represent multiple organizations and that no more than half of his hours can be from his place of employment, so Joe earns 50 there, and another 25 by volunteering at Ability360 Sports Complex and another 25 by being an Officer in the Sports Parks & Recreation Club (SPARC). If Joe worked a job as a server at Jamba Juice, this position is not relevant to his major and does not propel him toward his career field and would therefore not count. 

Q: What if I am not sure if what I want to do for CFEs counts?

A: Reach out to Erin Schneiderman at erin.schneiderman@asu.edu  

 

Q: Can I count CFEs from a job I had 3 years ago? 

A: No. Recent experiences, ones that have occurred no farther back than 2 years, can be counted toward CFEs. The point of CFEs is to gain opportunities and networking related to your degree. Further, many students secure internships through exposure they gain through CFE hour opportunities.