Students

New Center Provides Students with Professional Develpment Services

Offering comprehensive and customized services for students and employers, the Center for Student Professional Development in the UTSA College of Business provides a range of academic and career preparation programs and services designed to give business students a competitive edge in attaining internships and employment opportunities.
"The goal of the center is to transform business students into business professionals," said Dr. Lynda de la Viña, dean of the UTSA College of Business. "By combining theory with practice, students can develop a balanced portfolio of academic, career readiness and leadership skills to place them on the path to success in their professional careers."
Existing academic and leadership components such as the Business Scholars Program and the Latino Financial Issues program, as well as international study abroad and business student organizations, are now centrally housed in the center. They are joined by an expanded array of professional development services.

The center is already making an impact for business students after operating for only one semester. More than 700 students received counseling in career development, resumé design and interview skills. Two industry expos, which expose students to the variety of career choices within a specific major, were held in the areas of real estate finance and development and tourism. The center has also hosted both local and national recruiters to conduct information sessions and employment interviews.

The center provides a continuum of offerings for students from their freshman through senior years. The Career Action Plan (CAP) is the signature program of the center. Targeted at juniors and seniors, the CAP provides a broad approach to professional career development that includes resumé review, mock interview sessions, company site visits, industry panels and business etiquette.

The first class of 150 CAP students entered the program in the fall, through participation in Dr. Bennie Wilson’s Business Communications course. Upon completion of the program, students will receive a certificate of professional development and be “career certified” for employers.

Education and awareness will be the focus of programming offered to freshmen and sophomores. Through the preinternship program, undergraduates will receive exposure to the center’s wide range of services and information about internship and employment opportunities. Future plans include the development of an alumni mentoring program as well as roundtable sessions with local executives.

For more information about the Center for Student Professional Development, call (210) 458-4039 or visit their Web site.

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