Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s Office of Career Services will continue in its growing endeavor to prepare students for the professional world, hosting multiple events and implementing new internal and external strategies to assist students this semester.

The department’s “blueprint” theme from last year, which conveys the idea of constructing and implementing a postgraduate plan, will continue into the new semester. However, Rachel Roberts, director of Career Services, has set new goals in hopes of reaching more Ouachita students and providing more direction and specific guidance as they prepare for the workplace.

“I think my focus for this year is going to be a little bit more on internships. Last year we did a lot of basics – resumes and interviewing,” Roberts explained. “I really want to focus on internships and working with the different departments to come up with a list of internships that are available in different fields or just making connections with a variety of companies that are offering internships. I think that it’s really the stepping stone for our students, and so I think it warrants a lot of attention.”

She also notes that a greater emphasis will be placed on social media and content shared there. With accounts on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest, the office will provide more information regarding department events, job opportunities and workplace tips to students.

This semester, the department will host four major events. According to Roberts, these events are particularly important because they expose students to a variety of opportunities and information and allow them to make connections without leaving campus. The events include:

• Sept. 9: Graduate School Prep Workshop, a new event open to all students to provide information on applying to and paying for graduate school. Presented in partnership with Dr. Robert Kolt, associate professor of music, the event will help students prepare for the upcoming Graduate and Professional School Fair at Ouachita, as well.

• Sept. 23: Graduate and Professional School Fair, an opportunity for students to meet with representatives from a variety of schools and programs.

• Nov. 4: Internship Panel, a lunch event where current students who participated in internships this summer will share about their experiences with their peers.

• Nov. 4: Resume Development Workshop, an event providing tips on the resume development process, from initial formation to final critiques.

On-campus interviews, job postings and one-on-one meetings on resume review and career searches are all services that also available on an ongoing basis this semester. Roberts encourages students of all classifications and majors to take advantage of the office’s resources.

“I think that our office impacts students in every stage of their college career,” she said. “We might have some students who come in as freshmen and kind of need some direction on how to research different careers, and so we can help a freshman. And then we might have a sophomore or junior who come in and are searching for an internship or even honing in on what specifically they want to do within their major.

“Obviously seniors utilize us the most as they are starting to enter the workforce,” Roberts added. “It can be intimidating, so I feel like the responsibility of Career Services is to make students feel more comfortable and feel prepared for that transition – whether it’s having an excellent resume to present or knowing how they’re going to answer different questions in an interview and how they want to be portrayed in the corporate world.”

For more information on career services or to view job and internship listings, visit www.obu.edu/career. For appointment scheduling, email [email protected].

 

By Anna Hurst