Awards of Excellence 2007
Educational
Programming—College
New York University’s Wasserman Center for Career Development: Business Boot Camp for Liberal Arts Students
“Business
Boot Camp for Liberal Arts Students,” developed by the staff of New York
University’s Wasserman Center for Career Development, helps liberal arts
students build a bridge between the world of liberal arts and the world
of business.
The two-day boot camp, piloted in January 2007 and sponsored by Morgan Stanley, was set up like a “mini conference” and designed to help sophomores and juniors become job market ready; it featured events focused on career exploration and networking, and on building leadership and other key skills for the business world. (See “Boot Camp Format.”)
From working with liberal arts students, the staff were well aware of students’ interest in and enthusiasm for the business industries. This is a logical focus, says Marc Goldman, associate director of career development, given the school’s location in one of the world’s chief financial centers.
At the same time, staff knew that employers were interested in liberal arts students but wanted them to “link themselves to business in some way,” explains Goldman. “Employers want to see that the students have some basic level of business-related knowledge, to gain the jargon and verbiage associated with the industry.”
Consequently, the boot camp made sense “from both ends,” says Goldman, “bringing together students and employers for skill and knowledge building in a way that’s attractive to students.”
| Boot Camp Format |
|---|
|
Day One (9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
Day Two (9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.)
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Targeted to sophomore and junior liberal arts students at four NYU colleges, the boot camp was designed to reach students who would “benefit most,” says Goldman. Entry to the program was by application; students provided basic information, a current resume, and a personal statement explaining how the program would help them in their career development, exploration, and/or job search.
Although the team originally planned to open the program to 60 to 80 students, nearly double that applied. Eventually, 100 students were accepted.
As sponsor, Morgan Stanley assisted by funding the program; providing speakers, supplies, and giveaways; and by having a number of staff participate in the boot camp’s networking events. But the company’s chief contribution was greater than that, says Goldman.
“By its sponsorship, Morgan Stanley demonstrated that yes, big financial companies are interested in liberal arts students,” he says.
Program Success and Outcomes
Although the staff planned for a successful program and positive feedback from students, Goldman admits that they were “surprised by how positive [the feedback] was.”
And there were some unexpected—but positive—results. Goldman estimates that approximately 80 percent of participating students were aleady using the career center, but in the boot camp’s aftermath, the staff is seeing students use more services and exhibit greater motivation and willingness to follow up.
In addition, the program resulted in a stronger relationship with a consultant who took part in the program. Now, the consultant comes back once a week to work with grad students.
The staff currently is discussing how to build on the program’s success and move forward.
There will be “tweaks” next time around, such as expanding participation in the networking event, but the basic focus and design of the program is likely to stay intact.
In terms of student participation, “60 to 100 students seems about right,” says Goldman. So, rather than expanding the program to include more students, “we’re talking about offering it once or twice a year; we’re also talking about creating additional boot camps, for media and communications majors, for example,” says Goldman. The staff also held a successful boot camp focused on nonprofit careers.
Moreover, other colleges have expressed interest in having a program for their students, the result, says Goldman, of student enthusiasm for the program, which created “wide reaching buzz.”
