How Howard Students Fare after Graduation
While students throughout the University are registering for their spring semester courses; seniors in the School of Business are completing their required materials to prepare them for post graduation.
Last year, School of Business alumni who were placed in jobs received an average of a $47,000 salary and a $5,000-$6,000 signing bonus. Harold Gray, director of the Center for Professional Development, which offers job placement to students in the School of Business, said that last year, over sixty-five percent of School of Business graduates were placed in jobs.
Joe Simpson is a School of Business graduate who majored in accounting. While attending Howard University's School of Business, Simpson utilized the center to get an internship. Simpson began interning with the accounting firm Deloitte & Touche and by his senior year, the firm offered him full time employment after graduation.
"I went to see Mr. Gray and [he] helped me get involved in the Inroads program and I got the internship with Deloitte & Touche," Simpson said.
Simpson said students who are preparing for post graduation should get involved with internships and co-op programs because it will allow employers to get to know them, as well as give students a chance to get familiar with companies.
The School of Business graduating seniors are required to complete an evaluation survey before graduation. This evaluation asks students about their plans after graduation. The survey also asks students if they already have a job, and if so what is the salary and signing bonus. "If students who have no job placement, the questionnaire asks if they are they pursuing graduate programs after graduation," Gray said.
As Director of the Center for Professional Development, Gray provides various opportunities to students to prepare them for graduation and various employment opportunities for students after graduation. The center requires School of Business students to submit a resume to be reviewed to allow them to apply for jobs and internships through the center. Students are also required to attend a resume prep session and interview skills shop, Gray said. This workshop teaches students how to prepare their resume and teaches them interview skills.
Other resources the center offers to graduating seniors include company information sessions offered in the months of January and February. The center also offers professional skills modules throughout the year where various companies from Tiffany & Co. to the Dow Jones visit the school and teach students various lessons from how to read the Wall Street Journal to proper table etiquette. The center has a calendar of Speakers' Bureau that spotlights four companies throughout the month of September on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays.
The center uses Monstertrak as a main strategy for students to search job and internships and post their resume and to sign up for interviews with visiting employers on campus. Gray said the center works in conjunction with the University's main career service office in delivering employer information to students also.
Kim R. Wells is the Director of the Howard University Career Services office. According to Wells, the Office of Career Services has more than 3,000 students registered with Monstertrak and their website receives 4,000 hits monthly. The career service office uses Monstertrak as one of their main strategies for the job placement of Howard students. Besides Monstertrak, the office also uses email listserves to faculty and students and works with For Alumni by Alumni to distribute various employment opportunities to students and alumni.
"Many Alumni engage is our career service online site [Monstertrak]," Wells said.
The Career Services office is always following up with students, Wells said. Alumni are always welcome to attend campus career fairs and the campus recruitment program is good for three years. In following up with alumni, the office has students complete a grad survey. Wells said the 2005 graduates' survey results are still in progress, but the 2004 results showed that 56 percent of graduates were working while 20 percent were in a graduate programs and another 20 percent were actively searching for employment.
Saajida Atlas, a senior management major, said she uses the programs offered through the university to aid in career searching.
"I keep an updated resume on Monstertrak for interviewing and to secure a position when I graduate," Atlas said.
Atlas said she visits the Center for Professional Development regularly. Atlas said that students who are preparing for graduation should "always have an updated resume on hand and don't hesitate to seek help from outside sources."
Students interested in the Center for Professional Development can contact Harold Gray at (202) 806-1518.
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Monday, November 14th 2005 at 9:11PM
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