More than 1,660 career advising appointments, 370 on-campus interviews, 96 career workshops, and 56 employer events: At the Lundquist College of Business, we are focused on preparing well-educated, career-ready graduates. The above statistics are just a sample of data points demonstrating the impact our dedicated Career Services office has made over the last year in helping our students land amazing jobs.
“The team at Career Services gave me the support and resources to learn how to effectively network and navigate not just my career search, but build a valuable life skill," said Leah Goodman "18, who is joining AECOM as a consultant with Strategy+. “Because of their support, I developed a robust network and was able to select between several offers to land my dream job."
As the academic year ends, the class of 2018 is celebrating and moving on to rewarding careers. Among our 2018 graduates, early data show that hundreds already have jobs lined up, moving into such positions as financial analyst, footwear developer, tax accountant, marketing specialist, comptroller, mergers and acquisition consultant, product line manager, and more. And they are working for such companies as KPMG, Wilson Sporting Goods, Citibank, Intel, Amazon, Under Armour, and the Los Angeles Clippers.
“As part of our commitment to student success, we provide career advising, resources, and support services tailored just for Lundquist College students—both undergraduate and graduate," said Connie Brady, associate dean for administration and interim director of Career Services. “Complete reporting on the career success of our class of 2018 is a couple months away, but our recent initiatives in career services are already making a difference."
Among the activities offered by our Career Services office are career exploration, workshops, career advising and coaching, practice interviews, resume review, job shadow, mentoring, employer job and internship postings, industry-focused career fairs, recruitment events, networking, and more.
Job shadows have proven particularly popular with students and employers. The Job Shadow program pairs students with host professionals in Portland, Eugene, Seattle, San Francisco, and beyond for one day of intensive and rewarding career exploration. Students get the chance to sharpen their career focus, gain industry contacts, and enhance their confidence. Host professionals and organizations leverage the program to connect with up-and-coming business students early in their academic pursuits. During this academic year, 219 students completed job shadows at 78 companies. In addition, students that participated in the Job Shadow program in past years saw a 15 percent higher rate of full-time employment and had a mean starting salary $5,000 higher.
The mentor network run through the Career Services office has also seen success. Started a few years ago the Oregon MBA Mentor Network this year paired 51 students with mentors. And those relationships are producing rewarding connections and providing businesses with future industry leaders.
Other Career Services activities also saw impressive engagement numbers this year. More than 720 met with advisors for individual help this past year, with more than 2,100 attending career readiness workshops. And industry focused career and networking fairs took place at the college, as well as across campus. These included a Careers in Food and Beverage event in February and a Careers in Banking event in November. In addition, university-wide career fairs took place in the fall, winter, and spring, as well as the Diversity Career Symposium in February and alumni networking event at Willamette Valley Vineyards in April.
“We are making investments and enhancements to key programs and priorities at the college. Career-readiness is an area of strategic importance for us," said Sarah E. Nutter, Edward Maletis Dean of the Lundquist College of Business. “We have made significant advancements this past year, and we are just getting started."
The Lundquist College of Business undergraduate class of 2018 includes 687 graduates from 15 countries and 24 states, 159 international students, 307 Oregonians, and 126 who are the first in their family to earn a four-year college degree. Among the graduates, 425 earned a minor in a field outside of business. In addition, there are 57 MBA, 50 executive MBA, 50 Master of Science in Sports product Management (who graduated in March), 27 Master of Accounting, 20 Master of Science in Finance, and two PhD graduates.