Sophomore Sarah Dubissette attended a workshop as part of the Career Planning Center’s initiative, Sophomore Success, which aims to outfit second-year students with the professional skills necessary in the workplace.

“I learned how to write an effective resume and cover letter, as well as the significance of a suit and how to properly pull off business casual,” said Dubissette.

Dubissette is one of the students that attended Sophomore Success, a series of workshops run by the Career Planning Center. The workshops aim to prepare second year-students for their future and teach them how to behave in a professional manner. It started nine years ago by the Director of the Career Planning Center Cathleen Borgman.

Borgman didn’t want to forget the students that completed their freshman year of college because there weren’t any programs for sophomores.

“There was such a big emphasis on the freshmen and basically when they became sophomores, there was nothing. Students need to take career [planning] seriously as early as possible in the academic career,” Borgman said.

Though Sophomore Success is specifically for second-year students, CPC has not forgotten the juniors and seniors. Because the upperclassmen are expected to have built their resumes already, CPC has other programs, such as one focused on professionalism skills for seniors. CPC had tried to create programs for juniors in the past, but they were discontinued due to the low rates of students.

Borgman felt there were several topics to go over in each session. These included resume writing, social media, creating a LinkedIn profile, interviewing skills and professionalism. CPC also allows students and guest speakers to help out with these topics.

“An employer or graduate student would come in and help with mock interviews. Past students would come in and discuss their experience studying abroad,” said Borgman. By running weekly, Sophomore Success allows CPS to go through more topics.

If CPC waits too long to give out fresh topics then people will begin to lose interest. Last year, about 50 students attended Sophomore Success, which increased to 65 students this year. Starting with 15 participants in the first workshop of the year, the program improves each week.

Sophomore Catherine Pezzella attended the workshops for the first time this week in order to help herself excel and to better her future.

“They give a lot of tips and lessons on various topics. They give tips on employment and having a future,” Pezzella said.

Sophomore Success workshops are every Monday for the rest of the fall semester at the Aloysius P. Kelley Presentation Room at 5:30 p.m.

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