Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech Athletics Student-Athlete Development held its annual Career Jumpstart event Monday night on the Cassell Coliseum concourse, sponsored by CoStar.
"On a daily basis, student-athletes are honing many of the skills employers are looking for such as time management, leadership, communication and conflict resolution," Senior Associate Athletics Director of Student-Athlete Development Reyna Gilbert-Lowry said. "We want to put our student-athletes in a space where they can articulate those strengths and connect with professionals who appreciate the value student-athletes can bring to an organization. The Career Jumpstart creates an environment for Hokie student-athletes to develop their networking skills and prepare for life beyond college."
The Career Jumpstart is an event held exclusively for Virginia Tech junior through graduating student-athletes to enhance networking skills and give student-athletes a head start on post-graduate opportunities. This year's event included three breakout sessions where student-athletes could practice their pitch on professionals, acquire networking skills and etiquette, and learn how to best brand themselves in the professional world.
"It can be difficult as a student athlete trying to fit job connections and career opportunities into our already busy schedule," Virginia Tech Men's Swim and Dive senior student-athlete Dylan Eichberg said. "VT has made it easy for student athletes like me to better prepare for our life after athletics."
"Career Jumpstart was an amazing way to form genuine connections with business professionals while simultaneously learning more about the world of networking in a relaxed environment," Virginia Tech Women's Swim and Dive junior student-athlete Emma Inch said.
Monday's event hosted 60 Tech student-athletes who could speak with 27 professionals representing 15 different industries. Among the professionals, 10 were Virginia Tech alumni including five former student-athletes.
"Attending Career Jumpstart reminded me of me a couple years ago," Virginia Tech Women's Soccer alumna Alia Hawa said. Hawa attended the event as a professional now working as a consultant for CGI. "While being a student-athlete is hard enough, finding out what you want to do when your sport ends is even harder. We are so invested in our sport and school that we don't have much time to figure out what's next. The Student-Athlete Development team makes that part of our lives so much easier by providing many events like Career Jumpstart.
"I am incredibly thankful for the student-athletes, professionals and volunteers that made Career Jumpstart a success," Hawa said. "Watching our student-athletes learn new skills and gain confidence through networking with professionals, gives you a strong sense of pride. Our Hokie student-athletes have bought into the Career Game Plan, and are taking full advantage of the opportunities that our office is providing. And it's not just our career development, but also our personal and leadership development areas as we strive to provide our student-athletes with a foundation for success beyond their collegiate years."
Virginia Tech's Senior Director of Photography and Design Dave Knachel was on-site to provide student-athletes with professional headshots to be used to enhance their online professional profiles. Student-athletes also received professional business cards for attending Career Jumpstart.
Gallery: (10-5-2021) 2021 Career Jumpstart