Rate My Professor Yvonne Gaut

Yvonne Gaut is the Postgraduate and International Career Adviser at the University of Otago's Career Development Centre, where she has worked since 2001. In this role, she serves as the specialist career adviser for postgraduate and international students, offering tailored guidance on career planning, employability skills, and job search strategies. She regularly visits the University's Christchurch and Wellington campuses to provide support to students across locations. Gaut holds a Master of Career Development and a Bachelor of Education (Teaching), which underpin her expertise in educational practices, career counseling, and professional development. Her work includes delivering career planning workshops through the Higher Education Development Centre (HEDC) training programme, facilitating individual appointments, and contributing to online courses such as Career Readiness on xOtago. She co-facilitates sessions like 'Building confidence through connection: networking for career success' with Professor Rachel Spronken-Smith and has served as a guest speaker at postgraduate retreats, addressing post-degree career transitions.

Gaut's professional interests focus on vocational education and higher education, with skills in teaching and learning, facilitation, and career development. She co-authored the 2023 publication 'Embracing partnerships – human and AI – in digital course on career readiness,' presented in contexts including the New Zealand AI in Higher Education Symposium, alongside colleagues such as Rachel Spronken-Smith, Russell Butson, and others. Her contributions extend to presentations on international learners and employability at ISANA NZ events and involvement in initiatives like the Pathway to Employment workshop series for international students. Gaut maintains a professional blog sharing practical career development frameworks, including Hope-Action Theory, growth mindset cultivation, self-reflection tools for values, interests, and skills, and integration of AI tools like ChatGPT for career planning and content creation. Through these efforts, she empowers students to navigate uncertainties, build resilience, and pursue meaningful career paths in evolving job markets.