Bell TowerOctober 03, 2023

Babb Center Provides Polish

Written By: Judith Hansen

Students can be brilliant in the classroom, in the laboratory, and at the computer or soldering iron, but if they can’t show prospective employers how that brilliance will count in the workplace, it may not be enough.

That’s where the Babb Center for Career Services comes in. 

“I hope every student who works through our program can go into an interview feeling confident because of the practice and experience they’ve had here,” said Susan Krafft, Executive Director of the center. “They are doing great things, hard things in the classroom. We want them to be able to articulate those achievements and demonstrate how transferrable those skills are in the workplace.”

The Babb Center’s services are free to help students and alumni develop professional skills that will prepare them for their future careers. The center connects students with employers in varied ways to provide students with valuable experience in their fields, mentors who can guide them, and supporters who will be with them throughout their post-academic lives. 

With career interest identification tools, resume workshops, interview training - often with real community hiring staff serving as mock interviewers - comprehensive and major-specific career fairs, and even a professional clothes closet, the center has everything a student might need to feel confident stepping into the hiring pool.

Krafft said the center offers about 30 unique workshops during the academic year, with many offered several times each semester. The Center also reviews over 800 resumes annually, helping students communicate the skills they gained at UAFS.

And for students who seek help in just a handful of areas, the services are offered with no commitment. 

Unless. 

Each year cohorts of dedicated students pursue the valuable Certificate of Distinction in Student Professional Development. Local employers know the certificate means students have had impressive professional training and have demonstrated timeliness, responsibility, and a strong work ethic.

Certificate-seeking students must attend specific workshops (like resume building and interview skills) and attend employer events and networking sessions that help them build connections and conquer anxieties. The certificates are awarded at the silver or gold level. 

Silver-level students must complete a slate of workshops and activities. In their senior years, they need to complete sessions on conducting a job search, practice interviews, and advanced resume writing.

Students seeking gold-level distinction must complete the silver requirements and have an internship for academic credit or in their field of study. They must also complete two of the following options:

Complete a faculty-approved research project.

Complete a Maymester in an approved environment.

Present or compete in an organizational regional, state, or national competition or symposium. 

Complete 15 hours in an approved campus organization leadership project.

Complete 15 hours in an approved community service leadership activity. 

Complete the SSS/TRIO program or Honors Program.

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