Your resume may have gotten you the interview, but what will your first impression be? If you’re not sure you know the answer to this question, Buena Vista University’s (BVU) Career and Personal Development is hosting First Impressions, its first ever  Success Series. The event intends to prepare students to leave a positive, lasting impression. 

Each session has two available time slots so that students are given a greater opportunity to attend: Tuesday at 11am and Wednesday at 7pm in the conference room. These events are career-designated, True Promise events. While first- and second-year students can attend, an emphasis is placed on junior and senior students who are close to entering the workplace.  

Director Lori Berglund, Assistant Director Kristi Davis, and Employer and Alumni Coordinator Mandi Mollring all had a goal at the beginning of the year to create a program that really helps students. 

“We’d heard that seniors, and some juniors too, they know they’re getting close to the end of their career here at BVU, and they’re nervous, and there’s some that don’t want to adult yet,” said Mollring. 

Berglund also shared why she stresses the importance of attending. 

“Career and Personal Development wants to support students through each stage of their journey at BVU,” Berglund explains. “We recognize students are busy and may not see signs around campus or notices in the BVU News.” 

The #SuccessSeries is designed to engage students in activities that prepare them for internship and career opportunities. Throughout the series, guests from on campus and the Storm Lake community will present on a variety of topics. This past week, First Impressions kicked off the series, but throughout the rest of the semester the series will consist of: Professional Portfolio, Insurance and Human Resources, Money Management, and Equal Pay Day. 

 After each of the five sessions are held, Career and Personal Development will go through the series a second time; the only different aspect is that a LinkedIn session will be held instead of the Equal Pay Day one. 

“We’ve had a combination of different interactions with students, some of whom have come back, and they say they had to pick their health insurance or other benefits and they didn’t know what it meant,” said Mollring. “So, it was really kind of the three of us listening to students and remembering our own experiences getting our first job.” 

All three women want students to recognize the importance of this series and hope that attendance will continue to increase. 

“These are things that we hear students want and that they worry about,” said Mollring. “We want students to know this is something that we’re offering to really prepare them to go out and get their first job, or even an internship. And maybe this is something students don’t even know they need to know.” 

Even attending for just one bit of knowledge is encouraged, in hopes students get something else along the way. In fact, students who attend at least three of the five series will be entered into a drawing for a prize from Career and Personal Development as a way to say thank you for coming. But that’s not the main goal. 

“The moral of the story is that it’s never too soon to prepare for a future opportunity. You never know whom you might meet on a given day. Students who take the initiative to build a steady foundation for their future career, will be prepared for opportunities that arise,” said Berglund.  

Mollring added that while students already have a lot on their plate, preparation is key, and it puts one in the right spot. 

“Always be forward thinking and put yourself in the right place at the right time. Do that by just having a good attitude, talking with people, networking, and getting outside your comfort zone. And it’s something students have to develop over time.”