For WCBA students, career prep starts day one

Sarah Burger What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s a question we’ve all asked or answered at some point in our lives. While the simple query is usually well-intentioned, it can evoke feelings of uncertainty for those about to embark on their careers.

Landing that first post-college professional position is a common concern for parents and students alike, but for students in the Williamson College of Business Administration, getting ready for the world of work starts day one.

Much of the efforts to socialize students into the profession are tied to WCBA’s Center for Career Management, which offers opportunities to help students find their passion and develop a plan to meet their goals. It begins with a career assessment in the freshman year and culminates with internship opportunities as students move closer to graduation.

Creating a culture of professionalism and developing a sense of career awareness are priorities for the Williamson College of Business Administration. Helping students develop a professional mindset is accomplished through the collaboration between the business faculty and WCBA’s Center for Career Management. Beginning with the freshman class Exploring Business through the senior year when many students secure full time professional jobs, the faculty and CCM offer students a wide range of opportunities to explore careers, pursue internships and develop a professional network.

“We want to help them start doing all the right things from the beginning,” said Christina O’Connell, center director.

One Williamson senior, Sarah Burger, has taken advantage of several CCM services, including assistance preparing for her internship interview.

“Going over different types of questions the interviewer might ask and helping me work through those answers was extremely helpful,” said Burger. “I left feeling very confident for the interview afterwards.”

The International Business major from Stow, Ohio, landed a slot in the Ohio Export Internship Program and spent last summer at Renewable Lubricants in Hartville, Ohio. She created a compliance manual and did market research for the company.

She now works part-time at Haltec in Salem, a company known as a leader in the tire valve industry. (For fans of professional football, Haltec’s mark on the industry can be seen from the sidelines. Through a partnership with Wilson, Haltec created inflation machines for use by the NFL.) Burger’s work at Haltec deals with compliance surrounding import and export procedures. She will join Haltec full-time when she graduates in May.

Burger is part of the roughly two-thirds of graduating seniors who did at least one credit-bearing, paid internship while in college, a population that tends to do well on the job market. Of the 2018-19 graduates who did an internship, 94% are employed or enrolled in graduate school.

CCM also encourages participation in Global Learning Experiences like the one Burger completed earlier this year. She spent ten days in Japan, exploring Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo, and learning about international business and culture through visits to companies, a university and historical sites.

Now Burger is doing her part to support the work of CCM and help fellow students by serving as a Williamson representative. In this role, she visits classrooms of students starting out in WCBA and shares experiences to help younger students learn. Burger, who holds several leadership positions including vice president of both the International Business Organization and the American Marketing Association offers this advice –

“Take advantage of every opportunity right away. The Center has lots to offer and amazing people who want to help,” she said.

The coronavirus situation is impacting current study abroad experiences. Students who visited Prague, Czech Republic, March 6 – 14, returned to special airport screening and directions to self-quarantine. A WCBA-led trip to Italy set for May was cancelled.

Editor’s note: The Center for Career Management hosts a variety of professional development events for students, including a Meet the Employers Day, a Professional Development Summit, on-campus interviews, networking events and more. CCM staff teach the required course in Business Professionalism and host the Business Etiquette Luncheon, also required of all students.