This story is featured in the Spring 2020 edition of the HPU Magazine. Discover below HPU’s Office of Career and Professional Development ensures students land their dream careers.
HPU’s Office of Career and Professional Development helps students translate their skills and experience into successful careers.
Think about this: Students spend the majority of their lives preparing for college and their career.
When they arrive to HPU, the Office of Career and Professional Development serves as the compass that directs their path, from selecting a major and securing an internship to conducting mock interviews and applying for their first full-time job.
For Logan Kamer, a Class of 2020 graduate who majored in business administration and minored in sales, the Office of Career and Professional Development helped him land a job as an account manager with Gartner in Fort Myers, Florida, well before graduating.
Blazing the Trail
“HPU is a truly incredible university,” says Kamer. “The ways that you can develop and grow as a person are astronomical at HPU.”
Kamer made the most of the resources at HPU and worked with the Office of Career and Professional Development to secure his internship as a global tech sales intern with Gartner for the summer of 2019. The company went on to offer him full-time employment after he graduated.
“From joining the Sales Club and serving as President of Alpha Kappa Psi, to leveraging the Office of Career and Professional Development and learning from global leaders like Scott McKain, HPU’s Corporate Educator in Residence and bestselling author, I have learned so much both in and outside of the classroom,” says Kamer.
Making Connections
Regardless of major or career goals, students enter Cottrell Hall with questions and leave with direction. Every High Point University student has the opportunity to hone their interviewing skills and extend their network with the Office of Career and Professional Development.
Here’s just one example: The university dedicated an entire day to career development opportunities, including three Employer Panels and a Career and Internship Expo. Dressed professionally and carrying copies of their resumes, students met with employers one-on-one and discussed what companies look for in new hires. During the speaker panels, employers covered networking, and how to land your dream job.
The Office of Career and Professional Development not only organizes a large variety of hands-on learning experiences, but also prepares students to foster positive relationships with employers, which can lead to internships or full-time positions.
“High Point University has given me the confidence to walk up to potential employers knowing that my experiences here are arming me with the skills needed in the workforce,” says James Capps, a sophomore finance and philosophy double major, who is working with the Office of Career and Professional Development to narrow down internship opportunities.
Each year, the expo provides students with opportunities to network with employers and discuss industry trends in particular fields.
“The Career and Internship Expo is one of the major examples of how our Office of Career and Professional Development educates and empowers High Point University students to translate experiential learning to the professional world as it will be,” says Dr. Bill Gentry, director of the Office of Career and Professional Development.
Preparing with Prime
In addition to events like the Career and Internship Expo, HPU provides students with four years of enhanced career preparation inside 1924 Prime.
Inside the immersive fine-dining learning lab, you’ll find students practicing proper etiquette in a setting that replicates an interview situation they may one day experience. In fact, in The New York Times article, “How to Hire the Right Person,” employers say that taking a candidate to lunch or dinner is one of the most revealing and important components of the hiring process.
While some colleges provide an etiquette class during a student’s senior year, HPU students have four years of opportunity at 1924 Prime to gain life skills that prepare them for any professional setting they may encounter.
Imagine being able to practice your interview skills before walking into a five-star restaurant to meet with prospective employers. At HPU, students have this opportunity through ongoing mock interview events in 1924 Prime, facilitated by local employers from the High Point community. 
“We continuously have great employers who want to come to our campus, get to know our students and recruit them for internships and future employment,” says Gentry. “They serve as role models and teachers themselves who give great feedback and career advice to our students.”
Dulbic “X” Xie, an international student from China majoring in sport management, participated in the mock interview series last fall.
“My dream career is to serve as director of community relations for a professional soccer team,” says Xie. “It’s highly likely I will be eating with prospective employers or current colleagues at some point in my career. With 1924 Prime, I’m prepared for any environment that comes my way.”
As a student in Dr. Doug Hall’s sport management class, Xie discussed his career goals with Hall.
“Dr. Hall told me it would be good to share my background and skills with attendees from the Salvation Army because you never know where a connection will lead,” says Xie.
Carrying this advice forward, Xie attended the mock interview session and had a successful conversation with the Salvation Army — so successful that he was offered an internship serving as community relations intern for the organization’s youth soccer program.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity with the Salvation Army, the mock interview series and Dr. Hall for sharing his insight on how local nonprofits have connections to the sports industry.”
Appreciating the Journey
For Kamer, the key takeaways are patience and persistence. “My advice is to simply get started and learn to enjoy the process,” says Kamer. “You won’t be able to see what success is down the road or what accomplishments you’ll achieve when you’re just starting out. Take that first step to join that club, make your resume, connect with that person on LinkedIn and work on yourself. With persistence, you’ll reap rewards. My motto is macro vision, what you want long term, plus micro execution, the daily and weekly execution, equals success.”
While the entire staff at HPU played a role in Kamer’s time on campus, Gentry is at the top of his impactful mentors list.
“His willingness to sit down, listen and offer tailored advice is always encouraging,” says Kamer. “From leadership questions to interview tips, Dr. Gentry has been there for me the whole way. His leadership style and dedication to HPU are what makes this school so great.”
For Gentry, he reflects on the growth he’s witnessed in Kamer.
“I met Logan his sophomore year as he was applying for internships,” says Gentry. “We conducted a mock interview, and he has visited our office many times since. I encourage all students to come early and often, beginning as soon as their freshman year.”
