Prepped for professional success

There’s the one she created before she took Business Administration 300, which included some high school accolades and a summary paragraph. Then, there’s the one that helped her land a marketing internship.

The University of Michigan-Dearborn senior created the latter version after she enrolled in BA 300: Career Planning and Development, a course designed to provide students with the necessary skills to achieve their career goals. Adamczyk can attest that BA 300 lives up to its course description.

“I can honestly say that if it wasn’t for BA 300, I don’t know if I would have been able to get an internship,” said Adamczyk, who worked this past summer with Henry Ford Health System.

Thanks to the tools she picked up in BA 300, Adamczyk was more prepared for interviews and was able to present employers with a more attractive resume and cover letter. That’s what sets BA 300 apart from other business courses: It specifically focuses on what it takes to launch a career.

“The idea in BA 300 is to create the awareness, create the idea that they’re taking control of their careers, and then give them access to a wealth of opportunities to ultimately launch their careers,” said Mike Callahan, director of the College of Business’ (COB) Internship Program and BA 300 instructor. “The idea is that if you approach your career using a model that’s very similar to what people use when they’re launching a business, the probability of being successful is greatly enhanced.”

The one-credit course is mandatory for all UM-Dearborn students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Course objectives include requiring students to engage in mock interviews, create personal career web pages and participate in campus networking events.

“In addition to getting an outstanding education inside the classroom, we want to ensure that our students continue their professional development even outside the classroom,” said COB Dean Raju Balakrishnan. “Courses like BA 300 focus specifically on preparing them to do just that.”

Jen McArdle enrolled in BA 300 with the goal of establishing her own unique brand.

McArdle started by narrowing down her lengthy list of career interests. The UM-Dearborn senior also fine-tuned her resume and expanded her professional network.

“It’s all about deciding who you are and marketing who you are to other people,” she said. “I felt like the course applied to me, specifically. I know it’s going to help me because I want to be able to hit the ground running after I graduate.”

And the tools students learn in BA 300 can be utilized for years to come, Callahan said.

“It is not ‘take the course, you get a grade, it’s over with, forget about it,’” he said. “The intention is that they’ll use this material for the rest of their lives.”