Integrating Career Exploration and Skill Development into Curriculum (feat. Krysta Foster and Shahnaz Masani)

How can career services and faculty partner to embed career exploration directly into the classroom—so every student has access, no matter their background or schedule?

In this episode, host Meredith Metsker chats with Krysta Foster, Associate Director of Career Services at Michigan State University’s Lyman Briggs College, and Dr. Shahnaz Masani, Assistant Professor in Lyman Briggs College and MSU’s Physiology Department.

Together, they’ve built a unique, fully integrated career curriculum called the In Real Life Lab (IRL) that weaves career exploration and skill development into the core science curriculum.

Krysta and Shahnaz share how their partnership began, why they see career work as equity work, and how they’ve designed IRL to help students articulate their purpose, plan parallel career paths, build self-efficacy, and connect their academic work to real-world impact.

They also discuss what it takes to create strong, collaborative relationships between faculty and career staff, the powerful outcomes they’ve seen so far, and their vision for scaling the program both at Michigan State and beyond.

If you’ve ever wondered how to break down silos between faculty and career services—or how to make career education more equitable, accessible, and purpose-driven—this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Key takeaways:

• Why embedding career into curriculum makes career exploration more equitable and accessible for all students.
• How Michigan State’s In Real Life Lab helps students connect classroom learning with purpose-driven career planning.
• What makes faculty/career services partnerships work—and how to start building them on your campus.
• The powerful outcomes students experience when they reflect on their skills, practice career readiness in class, and build confidence through low-stakes experiences.

Resources from the episode:

• Krysta’s LinkedIn profile
• Krysta’s email: krysta@msu.edu 
• Shahnaz’s LinkedIn profile
• Shahnaz’s email: masanish@msu.edu 
• Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education article about the IRL curriculum

Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community