Editor's Note: This is the first in a series examining each of the four pillars of the Cameron Institute.
Today: Career Development



It's easy to see why Dr. Bineti Vitta is passionate about career development and motivated to ensure that Cal student-athletes are positioned to land their First Golden Opportunity.

"I want to help them prepare and not flail like I did," said Vitta, the Director of Career Development for the Cameron Institute. "This is my dream job now, but it took me a long time to get here. So I want to make their transition more seamless."

Vitta was hired in August to oversee the career development pillar of the Cameron Institute – one of four overarching pillars guiding student-athlete development at Cal. She was raised in Senegal, Canada and Kenya before moving to America to attend Brandeis University in Massachusetts and ultimately earned her master's degree and Ph.D. from UC Davis.

After accomplishing so much academically, Vitta still struggled to find a professional fit until finally getting introduced to career development.

"Work is what you end up doing for the big chunk of your life when you are done with school," Vitta said. "Unfortunately, I don't think enough attention is paid to how to transition into the world of work or how to figure out what you actually want to do in the world of work. So I want to be able to provide those services to help students make that transition successfully."

Vitta's primary undertaking has been the launch of The Golden Bear Network,  an engaging online platform designed to connect student-athletes to alumni and professionals for career support. Cal student-athletes are able to create profiles, filter out potential employers and mentors, and connect to career-related events and opportunities. Professionals and alums can post internship and job opportunities and search for qualified applicants while also staying engaged with the University.

In addition, Cal student-athletes have access to 1-on-1 customized career advising, and all first-year student-athletes can take a career assessment to assist in identifying majors, activities, and career paths that best align with their interests. Forthcoming services include a Four-Year Guide to Landing the First Golden Opportunity, which presents the recommended key skills and experiences to complete each year to prepare for the world of work or continuing education. There are also plans for a career development class, a career mentoring program, an internship placement program, and professional networking events.

"The career development pillar is critically important to the entire mission of the Cameron Institute," Cameron Institute Director Dr. Marissa Nichols said. "It's a fundamental part of what we are trying to accomplish to help set the Cal student-athlete up for a lifetime. Bineti has done an incredible job of tailoring the platform. We are positioning it to be the signature platform for career support for our students."