COBA students met this week at the new Jump Start sessions to learn about potential internships and receive advising codes to register for the upcoming spring semester.
Tim Johnston, assistant dean in COBA, created and implemented Jump Start last fall. It began as a program to inform students of upcoming deadlines for the “bigger” internships and to help connect students with opportunities offered on campus through ACU’s Career Center.
Jump Start is only for juniors and seniors and is required to receive an advising code for class registration. The other requirements include completing a career interest survey and submitting a resume at student’s advising appointments.
Rebekah Davis, COBA’s coordinator of student services, leads the Jump Start sessions. Davis said it was necessary to start a program in COBA that helped students get a jump on the competition.
“We realized students were missing out on internship and job opportunities because they were starting to search for those opportunities too late,” Davis said. “Some of the on campus interviews are scheduled in October and November for either summer internships or full-time positions for the upcoming December graduates. We want them to be ready ahead of time.”
Davis went on to add that while the program may be new, it has been very successful over the past year.
“In 2010, 48 percent of COBA students were either employed or enrolled in a masters program prior to graduation,” Davis said. “In 2012, after the Jump Start session was implemented, the percentage rose to 65 percent.”
Because the program is somewhat new, some COBA students are still unaware of what it has to offer.
Allie Rostron, a junior marketing major from Llano, did not know the purpose of Jump Start.
“All I know is that I’m required to go to it,” Rostron said.
Zach Stromberg, junior double major in psychology and business financial management from Putney, Vt., was excited about the program.
“It seems to get students prepared earlier,” Stromberg said. “I’m impressed with the success it’s had in the past year.”
Jump Start’s upcoming session is this Thursday at 1 p.m. at room 201 in COBA. Davis said the sessions are informal and brief.
