Preparing futures Today

“Preparing futures today”; that is the motto of the Southern University Career Services Center, and what they seek to uphold as they unveil their newest student preparedness technique, the Interview Prep Card. The card is recieved after a face-to-face interview that seeks to help revise or revamp your existing resume and interviewing skills. The Interview Preparedness Card took between four and six months to perfect. The card’s performance, durability, cost and student friendliness were all determining factors.
Recognizing the importance of face-to-face interaction, and a need for continued professionalism, Director of Career Services Tamara Montgomery attributes the idea for the Interview Prep Card to an Allied Health Conference she attended two years ago. After learning of the technology, Montgomery searched for a way to incorporate it in a way that would improve students’ professional skills. With limited funds, the Career Services staff began to invest in wristband USBs that they would manually load with Career Services information as well as sample resumes and cover letters as students visited their offices.
“That was really inefficient and time consuming,” explained Montgomery. “We learned from that and sought to do better.”
The Interview Prep Card is the brainchild of Montgomery, and a “chance to show the gifts and talents of the Career Services Center.” The actual card is a USB drive the size and shape of a business card. It comes preloaded with ten documents, all of which service to help students prepare for their future careers. The documents include: two sample application letters, two sample thank you letters, four sample resumes and a career guide.
With approximately 1000 cards available, students must schedule a formal interview with Montgomery while supplies last. Interviews began on October 2, as stated in the general info email sent to all student SUBR email addresses.
Montgomery leaves students with these words of encouragement,
“It’s not a problem that you have a problem, it’s a problem when you don’t admit it. Career Services is here to prepare you for your career and for life.”