February 9-10, 2018 BU seniors and juniors gathered at the Greenly Center for a weekend of networking and alumni led panels on how to be successful after college.
This was the 7th Career Intensive Boot Camp (CIBC). About 60 students from a variety of majors and all colleges participated and received certificates of completion at the end of the weekend.
Some of the presentations included what to expect your first 60 days of employment, how to market your personal brand, salary and benefit negotiation and how to handle conflict in the workplace.
The panel discussions mostly discussed the ins and outs of transitioning from student to professional.
According to the CIBC 2018 program, “This program was created specifically for students at BU and developed based on conversations with graduating seniors in senior seminar classes, student organization meetings, and focus group sessions. Research on similar programs and conversations with administrators at other institutions were also taken into consideration in planning this series.”
The event has been carefully curated to maximize students time during this weekend of networking opportunity.
Along with the presentations and panels students participated in resume and cover letter reviews, speed interviews, group interviews and virtual interviews. Students who participated also received lunches, breakfasts, dinners and a leather-bound Bloomsburg University portfolio.
The event began Friday afternoon, students were put into groups based on a personality profile they had completed before the boot camp and completed team building exercises. Afterward they listened to the Keynote Address presented by Nadine De Jesus a Bloom alum from the class of 2017.
De Jesus graduated with a Mass Communications degree on the Telecommunications track with a minor in Business Management. She was kept busy during her years at BU as she took on the roles of Orientation Workshop Leader, BU tour guide, National Broadcasting Society member, Board of Governors Scholar and Dance Ensemble member.
During her speech De Jesus described her nervous excitement as she neared graduation and how her life began to change in ways she hadn’t expected. Though she had been convinced that journalism was her life path she found that she didn’t like the job as much as she thought she would.
After much contemplation De Jesus found herself to be the Marketing Coordinator at Duck Donuts Franchising Company. Here she manages social media and content creation.
De Jesus stressed that students coming up on graduation should keep their options open and they shouldn’t be too nervous because everything will work out. Just sometimes in ways you’re not expecting.
The students participating in the Boot Camp kept this in mind as they networked with alumni and learned new skills throughout the weekend.
Some of those new skills were a bit unexpected. Saturday night the Boot Camp held an etiquette dinner, where the participants learned proper dining etiquette and how to interact with others during business dinners/interviews at restaurants. While the food was delicious the students were advised, “it’s not about the food.”
At the end of the weekend students were given time to connect with alumni on LinkedIn and send personal handwritten thank you cards for the time and wisdom the alumni offered to the soon to be graduates during the event.
The Career Intensive Boot Camp is held every semester and is a great opportunity for students who are preparing to go into the professional world.
