About 30 students willingly attended a boot camp Wednesday night. But they didn’t train for the U.S. Marines. Rather, they got in shape for their futures.
Career Services conducted the career-themed boot camp to improve students’ chances of success in applying to graduate school, as well as in their future careers.
Broken into multiple 30-minute presentations, students received advice from professionals. Topics ranged from the proper way to accept an offer from a graduate degree program to formatting a résumé and doing well in a job interview.
Scott Varner, career ambassadors student director, said there has been a change in the program. Initially, the presentation was directed toward undergraduate seniors and was broken up into several different workshops. However, after talking with students, Varner and his team realized the reach of the program could be increased if the program was condensed into one evening packed full of information.
Presenters talked about simple mistakes in a résumé that can make or break the likelihood of getting an interview. One presenter joked that putting your résumé on pink scented paper, like Elle Woods from the movie “Legally Blonde,” is definitely on the banned list.
Alex Nicole Francis, a recent graduate from the U with a Bachelor of Science in psychology, said she found the information presented helpful in her quest to find a job post-graduation.
“After graduation I have not had the easiest time finding a job,” Francis said. “I thought a workshop like this would be helpful.”
Alex Butler, a senior in anthropology, echoed similar concerns as Francis.
“I’m graduating in May, and I wanted to attend this workshop to ease some of the anxieties I have about applying to grad school and securing a job in my desired field afterwards,” she said.
Butler said after working in retina neurology, she doesn’t want to pursue jobs in that field anymore. She was pleased when the presenters talked about translating skills across a variety of disciplines.
Varner encourages anyone who has questions about future careers and résumés to contact the Career Services office to schedule an appointment.
“Students can become lost in the weeds of academia and not know how to navigate their paths after graduation,” he said. “If you want to have a better job and a better future post-graduation, a career boot camp of this nature will provide you with many necessary tools. We want to see students on track to achieve the goals they’ve set throughout their undergraduate years.”
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