Preparing for Jobs, Graduate Schools

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas Professional Development Institute will graduate 36 students on Wednesday, Nov. 29, which is more than double the number of students who graduated from the program last year.

The institute is designed to be a leading, nationally recognized career development and training program. The staff is committed to enhancing student professionalism and empowering students to present themselves successfully as candidates for employment or for graduate schools. The institute consists of career-building workshops, guest speakers and innovative activities sponsored by the UA Career Development Center.

Students in all UA colleges and schools are invited to join the Professional Development Institute. This semester, graduates represent the Sam M. Walton College of Business, the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, the College of Education and Health Professions, and the College of Engineering.

During a ceremony at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29, in sixth-floor lounge area of the Arkansas Union, graduates will be recognized and presented with a certificate of completion, a letter of recognition from their respective college dean and a set of business cards.

“Every aspect of the Professional Development Institute was helpful for me. Whether something that I did directly impacted my getting a job or not, I always left every meeting or seminar excited about my possibilities,” said Chris Carlisle, a 2006 graduate of Fulbright College who was among the first graduates of the Professional Development Institute.  “My career coach, Jami Forrester, suggested I apply for some of the on campus interviews being conducted through the Career Development Center so that I could practice my interviewing skills, and one of the recruiters coming to campus was from JC Penney. I applied, and two days after my mock interview, I interviewed to be a management trainee for JC Penney. I got along so well with the recruiter and felt so comfortable I knew I had a shot. After a second interview by telephone the next week, I was offered a job with a salary much higher than I had expected to get coming out of college.”