Bard begins job prep program
By J.p. Lawrence
Bard juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to participate in a five-day job and career workshop Jan. 19 through 25.
The workshop, “Bard Works,” will put students in a “job mindset,” Erin Cannan, Dean of Student Affairs and Associate Director of Center for Civic Engagement said.
After going through conferences on networking, financial literacy, and public speaking, students will leave with a revised resume, a preliminary cover letter, and a start on job searches.
“You’re not living here forever,” Cannan said, as she described the intent of the program. “We’re going to make people do a job search. By the end, we want to push people to a job they’re actually going to apply for.”
Juniors and seniors in good academic standing will not have to pay for the event, although students will have to pay for an additional week on the meal plan.
So far, 30 students have signed up, with 10 undecided, Dean of Students Bethany Nohlgren said.
A typical day will include small workshops until 5 p.m., and then social activities, such as formal dinners, in the evening.
Students will be able to pick and choose which conferences they attend. If students do not want to go to the Powerpoint and Excel class, they can attend a personal assessment or a mock interview conference.
One night, Nohlgren said, will be devoted to what not to do when looking for a job. On other nights, she and Central Campus Area Coordinator David Pack will be teaching students etiquette.
Bard Works will conclude with a networking event in NYC with Bard alumni and parents.
Registration began online in November. The form asked to report what careers interested them and where in the world they would like to live. Bard Works staff will use that information to try to match each student with a mentor in that field and that location. After the workshop ends, Cannan hopes students will keep in contact with their mentors for networking and advice.
Bard Works will give students a safe place to practice business etiquette, Cannan said, adding that the goal is to help students translate what they learn at Bard to skills in the business world.
“Something that Bard students are not very good at is actually understanding what a transferable skill is,” Cannan said. “They have all these skills, but they don’t know how to translate that into the job market.”