Navigating the real world can sometimes be tricky for post-graduates.
But the Career Development Center has developed a new program that aims to help students have more confidence in the workforce.
Founded this past fall, the PACE program (Professional Advantages for Career Excellence) is designed to help students enhance their business and communication skills so they will have an easier time finding a job in the future, according to Career Development Center Director Monica Wentworth.
“Lipscomb is the only university in Middle Tennessee to have a program like this,” Wentworth said. “The PACE program allows students to graduate with a Professional Development Certificate.”
Wentworth said that when participating in the program, students are asked to complete 13 components in four quadrants. These quadrants include improving communication, networking, academic and presentation skills. The certificate is earned when students have finished completing various tasks such as attending a career fair, completing an internship and doing a capstone presentation.
The PACE program not only gears students up for the real world, but Wentworth said it is also impressive to employers.
“It demonstrates a higher level of career readiness and helps students sell their skills,” Wentworth said. “A lot of Lipscomb students are already fulfilling requirements of the PACE program within their academic experience. They just haven’t had a way to package that to let employers know they had professional development training.”
Wentworth said the program is also important for networking.
“It naturally connects you to employers,” Wentworth said. “Networking becomes easier when students don’t feel burdened to make contacts all by themselves.”
Although the PACE Program has just begun its second semester, junior marketing major Sarah Warren said she is already discovering the benefits. She is one of several who have already joined the program.
“I thought this program would be a way to help me stand out from other applicants when applying for a job,” Warren said. “Now I feel like I have a better understanding on how to enter the professional world.”
More information about the PACE Program can be found on MyLipscomb through the Career Development website. Contact Wentworth at monica.wentworth@lipscomb.edu.