Check out this post by Elliot Lasson, Executive Director of JobLink of Maryland: How Common is Your Core?
Elliot makes great points about the education we get, what is required to graduate, and electives. He says that students should HAVE TO go through a career course. I know this is required at some schools (who I’ve worked with), but it’s by no means required everywhere. I would suggest that in too many classes it’s seen as a lame freshman course, with no meat (substance) and no teeth (or authority).
Check out the bottom of the post to see what Elliot suggests would be covered in the 16 weeks. You might have better ideas (mine would be to focus more on long-term career management, not just immediate job search skills), but the main idea is that this should really happen. It would have provided me more value than some of the other required classes I had to take to graduate.
Bonus: his other idea is the next required class would be for programming. I think this is a really intriguing idea… ! What do you think?