CourtesyA new professional development program being launched this fall will give undergraduate business majors in 黑洞社区鈥檚 W. Frank Barton School of Business a competitive edge as they enter the job market.
The program, called Professional Edge, brings in industry experts to teach critical success skills such as effective networking, interviewing, negotiating and evaluating compensation packages, professional communication etiquette, time management and others.
The facilitators will provide real-time candid feedback to students seeking one-on-one guidance. Students will have the added benefit of making early face-to-face connections with Wichita-area employers.
Professional Edge is only for business majors, and participation is voluntary. Those who choose to take part can take four semesters of the program over the course of their time at Wichita State by enrolling in a zero-credit hour course each semester.
Successful completion of the requirements in each semester will be noted on the student鈥檚 transcript. Upon completion of the entire program, they will receive a Professional Edge Certificate from the .
Free program
This program is made possible by a grant from Meritrust Credit Union.
鈥淢eritrust is proud to partner with the Barton School of Business to help prepare students for success in their professional careers,鈥� James Nastars, president and CEO of Meritrust. 鈥淭hese students are the business leaders of tomorrow, and we are honored to support them today in a way that will help ensure their success.鈥�
Anand Desai, dean of the Barton School of Business, says: 鈥淲e thank Meritrust for their investment in the professional development of our business students. Without their support, this program would not have been possible. Further, their grant enables us to provide this program at no cost to the students.鈥�
Even though it鈥檚 not a requirement, Desai says, he hopes students will choose to make this time investment in their own future.
鈥淭hese students have the opportunity to graduate even better prepared for real work environments,鈥� he says. 鈥淥ur goal is to give them life experiences that they can鈥檛 get from a textbook.鈥�
Business majors interested in Professional Edge can contact Wendy Veatch at 316-978-3441 or .