By: Hannah Austin Photo by: Hannah Austin
As a Milligan student, sometimes I feel like I get so caught up in endlessly studying for humanities exams or working forever on papers and I don’t take the time to really sit down and learn the basic principles of the “work world”. Since I’ve been at Milligan, I have failed to really consider what to do in an interview or how to network with future employers. To be honest, before taking the half hour credit Calling and Career, I knew little about resumes or interviews. I was recently interviewed by three different potential employers, and I’m hoping that I didn’t say anything stupid! I am still quite uncomfortable with dealing with the “grown-up” world! I’m not sure of what to say and what not to say to future bosses, for I am still in an environment where I play a role as a student, not an employee. Ironically, one of the primary reasons I attend college is to prepare for a career, and yet I have not taken many classes at Milligan that are helping me prepare for this “grown-up” world. However, Calling and Career, a class in which I am currently enrolled, is teaching me a great deal in the area of career education.
Calling and Career is a half-hour, required credit designed for sophomore students. It teaches the fundamentals of job-searching and career building. The class used to be combined with the freshman required half-hour course College and Service and was titled College and Calling. What used to be College and Calling has now been separated into two different required classes. Calling and Career was created from College and Calling in 2009 with the thought that career learning was better suited for upper classmen.
“The class was added so all Milligan students, not just the ones who sought out the training, would be prepared to compete in the job market with the tools they need to be successful in securing for future internships and employment,” explains Beth Anderson, director of both the Institute of Servant Leadership and Calling and Career Exploration.
Anderson said the class was created so that all Milligan students could have a chance at landing jobs and getting a jumpstart on their careers.
The class also includes other events that are meant to teach students about the professional world. Every class is required to attend an etiquette dinner where students meet with Dr. Amelia Brown, an educator of corporate etiquette. Brown gives students tips on how to act in an interview over a meal at a restaurant, including what attire is appropriate, what to order on the menu, and what utensils to use.
“We want students to be comfortable in that type of setting. It is hard enough to interview with a group of people, bu
t try to interview and eat when two to three people are asking you questions; it is a huge challenge,” Anderson said.
The class also requires every student to attend “The Summit”, a four and a half hour conference on the integration of career and God’s calling. The conference started as a weekend retreat in 2003, and now the event has been shortened to a one-day event focusing on the application of majors and careers to impact the world and expand God’s kingdom.
“It is our hope by understanding their gifts and talents, students will define themselves in those terms and not in terms of a ‘job’,” says Anderson.
I have researched three small, liberal arts Christian colleges similar to Milligan including Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, and our own rival King University in Bristol, Tennessee to see if any of these colleges require any career classes for their students. So far, all three of these colleges have no such class in the general education requirements of their catalogs. Anderson has informed me that many colleges and universities lack this kind of required class for their programs.
“Many of my peers at other institutions wish they had the opportunity to have a class like our Calling and Career as part of their general education core,” relays Anderson.
80% of Milligan’s graduates find a job within six months after graduation, so Milligan is doing something right! Whether this high rate of employment is due specifically to this class, I’m not sure, but I know it’s helpful to have some career education to set oneself apart from others. Milligan’s size and helpful staff help greatly in career preparation as well. Anderson’s willingness to give one-on-one attention to students needing help with resumes and other things has been an integral part of the career development program.
“We have conducted workshops, assisted with resume development, helped fill out applications, and even critiqued a few interview outfits,” said Anderson.
I encourage Milligan students to not view Calling and Career as just a required class, but to really take advantage of the course and apply the things that are taught for real life use. I know the class is already helping me with possible summer employment, and I think it will help other students as well who are looking for jobs in this tough economy. If you have not already taken the course, sign-up for Calling and Career next semester and prepare yourself to leave this “Milligan bubble” in the next couple of years!
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