Boler Professional Development (BPD)
Recruiters Seek Complementary “Soft Skills” When Hiring
As you set out to master the technical sides of disciplines such as accounting, finance, human resources and marketing, the Boler team keeps an eye on other important aspects of your growth as a business professional.
It’s common that you would begin college with little or no sense of how personal qualities — self-awareness, integrity and habits of communication — predict future career and life success. Recruiters and senior managers report, in survey after survey, that such “soft skills” matter as much if not more than grades, technical skills, awards and other resume highlights.
The Boler College of Business Professional Development (BPD) Program will prepare you to explore and one day enter the world of work with poise, finesse and confidence.
Mandatory Four-Year Program With Fast Track Option For Ambitious Students
Created exclusively for Boler students, the Boler Professional Development (BPD) Program is a four-year comprehensive program to 1) prepare you for the necessary skills and confidence to enter the workforce, 2) provide you with a competitive advantage with employers and 3) position you for your first choice in career upon graduation.
BPD 100 - Your Professional Development Journey: designed to prepare you with the basic skills to start your journey of professional development. Topics include creating a resume, creating a LinkedIn profile, StrengthsFinder, and email etiquette.
BPD 200 - Networking and Introduction to Interviewing: learn how to network while gaining an introduction to interviewing. Topics include transferable skills, creating an elevator pitch, and writing a cover letter.
BPD 300 - Advanced Interviewing Skills and Getting Hired: continue to put your professional skills into practice; build upon professional experience; practice behavioral-based interviewing with mock interviews. Topics include updating your resume and LinkedIn, creating a career plan, mock interviewing, mentorship, and how to get the most out of an internship and/or job.
BPD 401 & 402 - Living Inspired: understand the next steps after accepting your job offer, emotional intelligence, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, financial literacy, and navigating your first 90 days of employment. If you have not yet received a job offer, this course will continue to prepare you for your job search with suggested strategies to seek opportunities.
You gain an immediate competitive edge when applying for internships and jobs by:
- interacting with alumni
- learning from experienced professionals
- improving networking skills
- creating that all-important professional network
- attending skill-building workshops
- participating in career events
- networking and mentoring opportunities with alumni and recruiters
- mock interviews
- attending information sessions
Throughout your career, you will continue to learn about your leadership virtues and deepen your appreciation for how a Jesuit business education helps to form your ethical and spiritual inner compass (regardless of your religious or non-religious affiliation), and prepares you to lead a business in a manner consistent with human purpose and dignity.
Professional Development Topics
- Resume writing
- Networking
- Professional etiquette and communication
- Interviewing
- Professional experiences: Internships, externships and co-ops
- Job offers and negotiations
- On-boarding and the first 90 days
- Lifelong career success and strategy
