By Jennifer Kang
Reporter
The Paul L. Foster Success Center is starting a Most Likely to Succeed Career Challenge, in which students must complete nine out of 13 events, such as attending a mock interview or going to a career fair. Once these events are completed, students become eligible for a drawing for an iPad2. Events start Tuesday and the competition ends Nov. 11.
Carolyn S. Muska, associate director of career services, said students participate in this challenge to develop the right skills for finding a career.
“By participating in this challenge, students can show on their resume that they took the initiative to enhance their skills,” Muska said.
The Success Center is also starting its HireABear Career Prep Series this month. The Success Center offers a variety of workshops that help students improve their skills and give them an opportunity to write a better resume, practice interviewing and find employment.
The Success Center is offering mock interviews on Wednesday and Sept. 28.
Muska suggests students use these opportunities to increase their skills, even if not looking for an internship or job right now.
“Students learn to not be so intimidated, because they get a chance to talk with others and experience what an interview may be like,” Muska said. “But if students don’t have the time, they can record an interview online for us to review and give feedback.”
According to Kevin Nall, associate director of career services, many students who take the exit surveys say they wish they had used the resources at the Center.
“Students can learn to build a network at Baylor, right here in their own backyard,” Nall said. “People can learn to develop their personal elevator speech and learn to appeal with their skill sets and experiences. Students have access to over 200 companies and can look right here on campus. They don’t have to go all the way to Dallas or Austin, but can find the right company here.”
The Success Center also offers tools to help students find their personality type and interests in order to start choosing career. The two assessments that Baylor offers are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Strong Interest Inventory assessment.
Grace Kim, a May 2011 graduate, participated in the Strong Interest Inventory assessment and learned she would find a compatible career in finance, data analysis or management.
“The assessment showed results that I thought I would never be interested in,” Kim said. “But right now, I am working for Samsung as a data analyst and I do enjoy what I’m doing.”
