Ready, Set . . . by Katie Porterfield
W
hen professors in the Management and Marketing programs began receiving feedback from employers that students needed to improve certain career preparation skills, they knew they needed to take action. “Whether they were discussing higher-quality resumes, stronger interviewing skills, or more confidence in networking situations, employers believed many of our students could be more prepared for some of the tasks students engage in when transitioning from college to career,” said Don Roy, professor of Marketing. “We knew we had some work to do to strengthen our students in those areas.” After all, employers aren’t the only ones expecting the Jones College of Business to graduate strong workforce candidates. Parents and students invest a lot of time and money in a college education, believing it will yield not just a degree (and the knowledge that comes with it) but also employment. Roy and others formed a committee to find a solution, and the result was a professional development program known as IGNITE. The program is now part of Jones College’s broader professionalism initiative. IGNITE’s goal is to help students develop knowledge and skills to navigate the process of landing a professional, entry-level job and to instill confidence in them to compete for jobs in their chosen field. Though the committee initially launched the program in 2014 in the formerly combined Marketing and Management Department (which
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