Robb Center for Career Exploration wraps up successful academic year
By Kelly Collins, Director of Career Services
The spring 2015 semester proved to be a successful one for the Lees-McRae College Robb Center for Career Exploration, which is concluding its first full academic year of operation. The Robb Center provides centralized resources for students seeking guidance on obtaining internships and jobs by providing resume and cover letter assistance, interview preparation and multiple opportunities for students to learn about different career prospects.
A main focus of the Robb Center has been to establish a network of individuals in the high country and surrounding areas through which students can explore professional development possibilities. Throughout this academic school year, students had the opportunity to attend career seminars and participate in individual meetings with professionals representing a variety of occupations including:
- Josh Elliott – Wine to Water
- Dr. Robert Schoborg – Professor of Microbiology, East Tennessee State University
- Jesse Pope – Vice President of Grandfather Mountain
- Alvi Seda – Student Conservation Association
- Frank Rosato – Children’s Hope Alliance (Formerly Grandfather Home for Children)
- Richard Honeycutt and Robert Huffman – Edward Jones
- Paula Masters – College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University
- Sarah Phillips – Marine Lab, Nicholas School for the Environment, Duke University
In addition to these seminars, the Robb Center also organized special career events to provide students an occasion to develop their professional networking skills. At the end of March, students attended the Career Services Formal Dinner, which was held in Evans Auditorium and focused on proper etiquette during a professional dinner. The Formal Dinner concluded with an address by Donna Mason, Lees-McRae College alumna and trustee emeritus, who emphasized the importance of establishing a network, identifying a student’s passion and remaining open-minded throughout one’s professional endeavors.
The Robb Center wrapped up the spring semester with Lees-McRae College’s 4th Annual Career Symposium, which was held on April 11. The focus of this year’s symposium was how to develop soft skills employers are seeking and what actions students can take now to ensure their future success. The keynote address, organized by Deborah Buckley, field-based recruiter for the United States Peace Corps, was presented by a panel of professionals with diverse career backgrounds. Throughout the day, students attended various career preparation seminars such as confidence building, financial planning, the benefit of studying and interning abroad, and professional communications. In addition, students also participated in mock interviews, set up a professional LinkedIn account and learned how they could be more involved in their community through a volunteer fair.
As a result of excellent career preparation, Lees-McRae College boasts an 88% placement rate for its graduates. The Robb Center will continue to develop a robust network, providing Lees-McRae students with multiple avenues to develop professionally and ensure their future success in the workforce.
If you are interested being involved with the career development of Lees-McRae students, please contact Dr. Kelly Collins, director of career services, at collinsk@lmc.edu.
