Amanda Bergeron-Bauer, SNR recruiter, and Karen Jensen, SNR alumni coordinator, are offering a professional development seminar course for fall 2014.
The one-credit, pass/no pass course aims to give students the tools they need to prepare for their postgraduate career paths.
"We want our students to be well-prepared to obtain jobs or go on to graduate school when they graduate from the university," Jensen said. "This type of course will allow students to gain that preparation and make connections with others that can continue to help them build their skills for a successful future."
The class will take place on Fridays from 11-11:50 a.m. Course material will include resume writing, finding a graduate position, finding a job, interviewing tips, research opportunities, study abroad, job survival and scholarships, among others.
"We started discussing the topics our students could benefit from and have said they want to learn more about," Bergeron-Bauer said. "In the end, the list was too big for just a few workshops in the fall. That led to the professional development seminar series and finding a way for students to get credit for attending most of the seminars."
The course, listed as NRES 299: Professional Development Seminar, can also provide an opportunity for SNR's alumni and friends to connect with the school's current students and remain involved – by, for example, volunteering to deliver a presentation or be a guest lecturer in the class.
"Each week will be a different topic related to professional development and we'll invite guest speakers from SNR and across the university, as well as those from the natural resources community outside of the university," Bergeron-Bauer said.
Students interested in learning more about the course should contact Bergeron-Bauer at abergeron2@unl.edu or 402-472-7471, or Jensen at kjensen4@unl.edu or 402-472-7569.
John Carroll, SNR director, said that the course will provide students with a more holistic understanding of what it means earn an education.
"I believe the professional development seminar course to be taught in SNR will help our undergraduates understand that education is more than learning new technical skills for their professions," Carroll said. "As the job market for our students diversifies, we must help them be best positioned to navigate a more complex professional world."
— Mekita Rivas, Natural Resources