Alumni | Bell Tower01/01/2021

Babb Center Help Available to Alumni

The Babb Center for Career Services at UAFS is known for the many services it offers undergraduates. Now, Executive Director Susan Krafft wants you to know those services are also available to alumni.

Services include everything from career interest testing to resume reviews to career fairs. And it’s all free.

Lions’ Chance to Connect 

Perhaps the most popular service is Lions CareerLink, a site students can use to post resumes and employers can use to post openings. Unlike similar services used by some universities, Lions CareerLink is very hands-on. 

Before a student’s resume is posted, someone from the Babb Center staff will review it and, if appropriate, “make corrections and suggestions,” Krafft said. “We’re not trying to be judge-y; we just want to make sure you are posting something you’re proud of, something that will get you the interview.”

Jobs, too, are vetted. 

“We weed through the jobs, so only postings that would be appropriate for students and grads in our majors and programs make it to the site,” Krafft said. She recently rejected a job posting looking for a second-year law student because that wouldn’t be useful for UAFS students. 

“Local companies have jobs and internships they want to fill with college students or grads with specific majors. If they use Lions CareerLink, they don’t have to go to Indeed or LinkedIn. It’s an easy, fast way to get to the exact audience they want,” she said, adding that national corporations also post openings. 

What Do I Do Now? 

For alumni who may feel restless in their first jobs, the Babb Center can recommend interest testing. The university pays for every student to use the Focus 2 service. Looking at students’ answers to various questions, Focus 2 helps them discover the most fulfilling majors and careers. Alumni still have access to their profiles. Babb Center staff may also recommend mynextmove.org, a free site hosted by the U.S. Department of Labor. 

Even college grads can benefit from this testing, Krafft said. “Alumni may look at their job and wonder what else they can do with their major and training.”

As they zero in on a new job path, alumni can connect with the Babb Center to schedule some interview prep or even a practice interview. 

Looking the Part

Students and alumni want to put their best foot forward when they’re on the hunt for a job, and the Babb Center has a couple of ways to help. In March and October, students and alumni can participate in SuitUp, a special buying opportunity at JCPenney in Central Mall. Participants check in when they arrive at JCPenney and receive a coupon to take 20-30 percent off their purchases. SuitUp events each semester are on the Sunday before the All-Majors Career Fair on campus.  

The Babb Center offers the Suit Up Studio with gently worn business apparel available at no cost that alumni may use. 

Meet Natalie Chuong, the junior business administration student behind marketing the Suit Up Studio.

Come to the Fairs

Alumni are also welcome at networking and other career events on campus – as either a job searcher or a corporate representative. 

“We love for alumni to let us know they are planning to attend and send us their resumes,” Krafft said. “That way, we can print up copies to give them when they arrive. And if we see anything that could be improved, we can make that recommendation.”

Some corporate recruiters, like J.B. Hunt, ArcBest, and Brown-Hiller-Clark, make a point to bring UAFS alumni when they come to campus. “That way the students can talk to alumni and get a better sense of what their career path could look like,” Krafft said. 

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