Students at Truman State University start preparing for their professional careers long before the tassels are turned at the Commencement ceremony.
Using resources ranging from internship opportunities, to Career and Grad School Expos, to guidance from faculty and staff, students at Truman State University start exploring their career options early on so they are well-equipped to make smart choices about their future. This strategy is paying off as placement statistics show 90 percent of Truman’s recent graduates have a job or were enrolled at graduate and professional schools within six months of graduation.
And many of Truman’s newest degree holders are discovering the valuable experience gained from high-impact learning opportunities, such as internships, can help secure a job before they collect their diplomas.
Prior to graduation day at Truman this past May, Gina Wang already knew she would be applying her Bachelor of Science in business administration working as a procurement agent for Boeing in Seattle, Wash. Wang began developing connections with Boeing during her first year at Truman when she participated in the Future Leaders in Thought and Experience (FLITE) program ― a partnership between Truman State University and Boeing that seeks to bring new, younger talent into Boeing through summer internships.
“I applied to the FLITE program and was accepted, and so began a three-year journey at Boeing that has eventually led to a job offering,” says Wang.
Andrew Gress, who came to Truman as a transfer student after graduating from a community college, also took advantage of internship opportunities to enhance his career experience. Through an internship at Enterprise Fleet Management, Gress not only learned how the business world works, the experience also confirmed he was on the right career path. Planning ahead for his career, Gress researched the list of companies that would be visiting campus for one of the Career and Grad School Expos hosted by the University’s Career Center.
“L.J. Hart and Company was one of these companies and speaking with representatives at their booth was practically an interview,” says Gress. “One representative was a fellow brother through the business organization on campus, Delta Sigma Pi, and she also provided me with great details about the company as well.”
Gress’ extra effort paid off when he secured the position of financial analyst with L.J. Hart and Company prior to receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration in May.
Rachel Foster, another member of the Class of 2015, found that internships, combined with the right guidance and support, can make all the difference when it comes to advancing one’s career. Prior to earning her Bachelor of Arts in communication this spring, Foster accepted an offer to join the 2015 Teach for America Corps (TFA) and will be teaching first grade in Kansas City in the fall.
“Before my TFA endeavor, I had several really great internships with radio stations―I wouldn’t have had these internships without the help of Brandi in the Career Center and Dr. Kleine in the Communication Department,” says Foster.
While around half of Truman’s graduates enter the workforce, the other 50 percent choose to further their education, like Chelsea Rickman, who recently earned a Bachelor of Science in biology along with a minor in disability studies. After graduation, Rickman moved to Houston, Texas, to pursue a Master’s degree in genetic counseling at the University of Texas-Houston, and she plans to become a practicing genetic counselor in the next few years.
“I will truly miss Truman and all the opportunities, both academic and social, I experienced here,” says Rickman. “I’m so glad I chose to attend Truman, Bulldogs forever!”
Interested in recruiting bright students?
During the Career and Grad Expos held at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., each spring and fall, representative of various businesses, schools, and organizations come to campus to recruit Truman students for jobs and internships. For information about how you can participate in Truman State University’s Career and Grad School Expos, contact Polly Matteson, assistant director of the Career Center, pollym@truman.edu.
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