Career Coaching Program Launches at UTA College of Business

This fall, the UTA College of Business is officially launching a new career coaching program designed to support students as they prepare for life beyond graduation.

The program, which was piloted over the summer, was created to give College of Business students access to career support tailored specifically to business-related fields.

“Our students are learning what they need to in the classroom. Career coaching helps them connect that knowledge with finding the right job or internship,” Scott Elbert, senior director of academic advising, said.

Career coaching appointments are currently available to declared senior-level business majors, with plans to expand offerings to juniors later in the academic year. Students meet one-on-one with trained coaches, currently Harold Hankerson, a College of Business advisor, and April Simmons, Corporate Relations Coordinator, who help guide them through career planning, resume reviews, interview prep and more.

“The biggest thing is really just identifying skill gaps,” Elbert said. “Let's use the tools we have to help with resumes while coaching appointments focus on the intangibles —how you present yourself in an interview, how you go network, how you can tap into various career-related resources.”

April Simmons and Harold Hankerson

Upon sign-up, the system automatically generates a list of tasks students must perform, such as uploading their resume to VMock and updating their LinkedIn, which allows the session to focus on strategy and next steps rather than basic edits. 

“We’ve set it up in a way that encourages students to use some of the available tools the College of Business has already invested in,” Elbert said. “Before attending their scheduled appointment, they’re asked to go in and use VMock to update their resume and get it into the green zone. They also optimize their LinkedIn profiles. That way we can spend our time together talking about things like how to present yourself in an interview, how to network and how to connect with real opportunities.”

Simmons also encourages students to be intentional about their career goals.

“They should research the industry they’re looking for,” Simmons said. “That way I can help them dig deeper into things like salary, job availability by region and long-term fit.” 

The coaching program is just one part of a larger effort to embed career readiness into the College of Business student experience. “We want to get students being career-minded throughout their entire academic journey,” Elbert said.

Outside of individual appointments, the college is also hosting its Career Prep Series, led by Simmons. Topics range from networking and interview prep to learning how to negotiate offers and how to succeed on the job. There are also general Q&A sessions where students can connect with Simmons, Hankerson and assistant dean Rebecca Neilson to ask questions and get career advice. 

When asked what advice she would give to College of Business students navigating the job market, Simmons encouraged them to take ownership of their career journey and actively seek out resources, rather than waiting for help to come to them. She recommended checking Canvas announcements for internship and job openings posted to the College of Business Canvas page. 

A student speaks to an employer representative in the Dr. Jackie Fouse Connection Court.

Ultimately, Simmons wants students to walk away from a session with a sense of direction.

“That when someone asks them, ‘What did they get from UTA College of Business?’,” she said. “The College of Business really helped them and inspired them to look for jobs that were what they really wanted to do.”

Long term, Elbert wants to expand both the staffing and the reach of the program.

“We’re starting small with our seniors, but I’ve built it into my budget to invest more into getting additional advisors certified,” he said. “Hopefully by the spring, we’ll be up to four or five coaches and can start extending these services to juniors, too.”

And the ultimate goal? A cultural shift within the college. 

“We want students to understand that while earning a degree is a major achievement, it’s just one part of the process,” Elbert said. “Our goal is to help them build the skills, experience, and confidence they need to be truly career ready.”

Want to schedule a career coaching appointment? Fill out this form to sign up for in-person or virtual sessions. 

Interested in attending a Career Prep Series event? RSVP using this form.