We introduce the design of three consecutive unit operations laboratory (UOL) courses that retain the academic rigor of the course while incorporating skills essential for professional careers, such as ability to propose ideas, develop practical solutions, participate in teamwork, meet deadlines, establish communication between technical support and suppliers and oversee financial issues. We follow up the course outcomes with a survey targeting the graduates of the program. The results show that the implementation of these skills varies across post-graduate careers, highlighting the need for adaptive approaches for different graduate trajectories in designing the course.