Building the foundations of each scholar-athletes’ professional life includes equipping them with the materials, skills, and resources to succeed. From acing an interview, to understanding their professional online profile, P.A.W. Journey dedicates internal and external partners and opportunities to practice and perfect professionalism.
P.A.W. Journey staff, as well as the #1 Princeton Review ranked Michelin Career Center, co-create and edit resumes to best reflect the intangibles, accomplishments, and aspirations of each football scholar-athlete.
Prior to our micro-internship interviews, P.A.W. Journey hosts an intensive interview prep session, featuring facilitators that go beyond mock-interviews. Each micro-internship candidate receives personalized and group training, discussing how to best communicate their career goals and qualifications.
In 2020, Rishal Stanciel, a senior career coach, author, and lead campus recruiter at Management Leadership for Tomorrow, brought in a team to prepare our student leaders. The students were able to work on their choice of skill improvement including: creating/updating a resume, creating a LinkedIn profile, career interviewing, public speaking, explaining personal values, and networking skills. In addition to the workshops, Rishal hosted two sessions for the entire team to discuss career interviewing and networking with personal branding. Beyond scheduled initiatives, the P.A.W. Journey staff remains an excellent resource for football scholar-athletes throughout the year. Walk-in resume sessions, career advice, and professional mentorship are all offered by each staff member and provides yet another bridge of connection between P.A.W. Journey and the students it serves.
Also prior to Micro-Internships, our scholar-athletes attend Bridge Week, where companies come to campus for our Tigers to interview with and gain both real-world experience and corporate connections. Students are able to network with executives from companies such as Google, Adobe, NFL, and CISCO, while having one-on-one interviews for an internship at the end of the Spring semester. This is also a great time for our scholar-athletes to network with these executives for future opportunities and for possible post-graduation careers.
