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Occupational Well-Being

Occupational well-being is the practice of enriching our lives through employment, volunteer work, and vocational interests. It involves the development and application of skills and talents through activities such as school, hobbies, work, and community service.1

5 Tips for Occupational Well-Being

  1. Utilize your strengths daily.
  2. Identify your weaknesses and work to improve them incrementally.
  3. Find an individual (or mentor) to champion your growth.
  4. Build relationships with your coworkers, teams, and other social groups.
  5. Continually develop new skill sets and refine existing ones.

Campus Resources for Occupational Well-Being

Career Center

The Career Center and the Career Consultants are ready to help you no matter where you are in your career journey. View upcoming events, schedule a résumé review, and much more.

Leadership Opportunities

Below are some opportunities on campus to develop your occupational and leadership skills. 

Handshake

Handshake is Pitt’s comprehensive career services platform and your hub for all things college to career – jobs, internships, career fairs, events, and more. The Handshake platform is designed to be modern, streamlined, and provide career information tailored to your interests and goals.

Makerspaces

The Swanson School of Engineering Makerspaces include three spaces in the basement level of Benedum Hall: The Innovation Space Station (ISS), The Treehouse, and The Bioengineering Underground (BIU). These makerspaces are dedicated to helping students of all majors and disciplines gain hands-on experience in design and fabrication. The Pitt Makerspace strives to provide students with a safe and collaborative environment with suitable facilities for collaboration, learning, design, and fabrication. By gaining entry to the Makerspace, students have access to a wide range of well-maintained equipment and useful training, helping to catalyze the design and creation of the most creative and advanced technological projects at Pitt.

Makers.pitt.edu collects and communicates information about the diverse range of creative, collaborative, makerspaces available across Pitt's campuses.

Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship

The Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship inspires, educates and enables others to make an impact on society, improve the regional economy and transform their own careers.  The office is composed of four units: The Innovation Institute, the Office of Industry and Economic Partnerships, the Big Idea Center for student innovation, and the Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence.

Outside the Classroom Curriculum

The Outside the Classroom Curriculum (OCC) is a collection of experiences, programs, and events at Pitt that help students to make the most of their collegiate experience. Open to all Pitt students, regardless of major or career path, the OCC helps students develop highly desirable character traits and life skills. Download the Suitable mobile app to start tracking your experiences!

Panther Leadership Academy

The Panther Leadership Academy (formerly known as Emerging Leaders and Leadership in Action) is a 20-week leadership development program that helps students discover and develop their personal capacity to lead effectively and inclusively. The foundation of the Panther Leadership Academy is based on the Social Change Model of Leadership.

Visit the Panther Leadership Academy webpage for registration information.

Pitt Green Team

The Green Team assists with green-certified events, helps to spread the word about sustainability initiatives  and engages in community service projects and special events across campus. First year students who join the Pitt Green Team receive early move-in privileges to help with Arrival Survival and zero waste events during Welcome Week. Additionally, they assist with recycling and composting events throughout the year.

PittServes

PittServes aims to enhance personal growth and development by providing meaningful opportunities for service and reflection. By engaging with PittServes, students will cultivate relationships within our greater community, compliment classroom learning experience, and lay the foundation for a lifelong commitment to service. 

Looking for volunteer opportunities? Visit volunteer.pitt.edu.

Reaching Inside Our Soul for Excellence (RISE)

The Reaching Inside Your Soul for Excellence (RISE) program helps students get acclimated to the campus and help develop necessary skills needed to succeed at the University of Pittsburgh. Students in the program receive a mentor that will work with them to take responsibility of their future, make meaningful connections, and much more during their time at Pitt.

Student Organizations

With over 600 registered student organizations, students are sure to find one (or a few) that interest them. 

Browse the Student Organization Directory.

Talent Center

Find your fit at Pitt. All available positions at the University of Pittsburgh can be found in Talent Center, the University's online employment system.

Explore Occupational Well-Being Resources at Pitt-Bradford  

Explore Occupational Well-Being Resources at Pitt-Greensburg 

Explore Occupational Well-Being Resources at Pitt-Johnstown


Sources:

1Hettler (1976), Mayol (2012), Mayol et al. (2017), Roscoe (2009), and Swarbrick (2012).