Stepping into the world of business straight out of school can be overwhelming, to say the least. Applying for internships, attending professional development conferences and finding jobs to further your career are all necessary but difficult steps for students looking to join the professional world. The Career Mentor Program (CMP) in Hamline’s School of Business (HSB) aims to make these opportunities more accessible for all HSB students.
CMP is comprised of a network of Hamline alumni in the professional and business world who offer their time and expertise to undergraduate and graduate students in HSB, as well as recent graduates who share their experiences with stepping into the professional world. Alumni who participated in the program as Hamline students often return as mentors to the program as a way to pay forward the support they received in launching their careers.
“Our mentor team started originally through contacting alumni who graduated in about the 70s …and, actually, now our alumni are our best recruiters,” Kay Cotter, CMP advisor and adjunct professor in HSB, said. “They bring people to me and then I interview them and make sure they understand the program and that they’ve got the background we’re looking for.”
One of the many ways CMP aims to support their students is by hosting informational events, such as the Management Career Panel on Feb. 6. The panel featured two Minnesota businessmen, Jeremy Hanson and Pete Najarian, who shared their experiences in getting into the world of trading and entrepreneurship.
The event was organized by senior student leader Isaac Baron, who is a participant in the mentorship program. His mentor, Lou Lundberg, has personal connections with the speakers and was able to offer this connection as an opportunity for Baron to put together this event.
“We talked about the idea and he loved the idea, and I said ‘Okay, you will be responsible for doing a lot of the things. I’ll get the speakers for you, but you kinda pull the event together,’ which is what he did. And he did a fantastic job,” Lundberg said.
The opportunity to plan, organize and execute a professional development event on one’s college campus is hard to come by, but Baron and the folks in CMP ensured that this event would be beneficial to all attendees.
“By far, networking is the best way to find good internships [and] great job opportunities, so we spend a lot of our time and effort helping students to get that network going,” Cotter said.
Networking was both a topic of discussion from both panelists as well as a good portion of the beginning of the event. As the panel was open to all parts of Hamline, there were many opportunities to shake hands with the other side of campus. After some time to mingle, Baron introduced the speakers who presented for about half an hour, which was followed by questions from the audience.
The event also gave students the ability to ask questions and explore a career path that they may not have considered before. First-years to seniors littered the tables in Anderson 112.
“Going to college, I was so strong about education, but not that I’m thinking about it, I’m like, oh my gosh, I actually do kind of like econ, [and] business classes,” first-year attendee Htoo Han said.
Deciding on a career and pursuing it post-graduation is a momentous decision for many, and making it alone can be daunting. Thankfully, the ability to explore the business world and meet people who work within it can assist those in CMP in deciding on their next steps.
“I was really struggling with the next steps after college a couple years ago, like how will I get there, what are the right steps, where do I go? And I found out about the Career Mentor Program and it connected me with a lot of dedicated people who are looking out for your best interests and trying to expose us students to opportunities in the professional worlds, and whether that’s in more skills or exposure to internship opportunities, or just exposure to different avenues you can take in your career,” Baron said.
For both undergrad and graduate students looking for some extra support or to join the mentorship program, Hamline students can contact Kay Lillig Cotter or the CMP Administrative Assistant Nancy Hogan via email or by emailing hsb@hamline.edu.