Just a few short months after graduating from the Bachelor of Business Administration program, Farhan Mohammed has landed his dream job – and it’s all thanks to Yorkville University’s Grad-to-Work program.
“Starting off your professional career, you want someone who can guide you; you want a mentor to help you,” said Mohammed, who graduated with a specialization in Project Management in December 2020 and was hired as a Project Coordinator at software company Go Integrations in April.
“I’m so thankful to Yorkville University’s Career Services. They have been so helpful from the bottom line to the up line – making my resume, repairing my resume, and preparing me for the interview, as well.”
A joint initiative of Yorkville’s Career Services and Business Development offices, the Grad-to-Work program’sultimate goal is to assist soon-to-be and recent graduates like Mohammed find employment in their fields of study.
Starting off the process, Yorkville’s Career Services advisors work with graduates to prepare them for the employment application process by assisting them with their resumes, cover letters, interview skills, and job match reviews.
Once graduates complete those steps, the Business Development Office’s team of industry liaisons then steps in to connect them with prospective employers who are looking for strong candidates to fill their vacant positions.
Linda Folster and Alexei Varakin are two of the Career Services advisors who worked directly with Mohammed to prepare him for his post-graduation job search.
“He approached me back in December of 2020 when he was just embarking on graduation from the BBA program…and he was just super keen to get a serious start on his job search and to try to find his first professional job in his field,” the BC-based Folster recalled.
The pair then hopped on a Zoom call, where Folster proceeded to find out more about Mohammed’s school and work background, as well as his passions and goals.
“I learned that he had gone to school for and worked in engineering back home, and that he had also done some work here,” she said of Mohammed, who earned his degree in Electronics & Communication Engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University in India back 2016.
“What I helped him understand was how to make the connections between his previous job in engineering…with the kind of work that he was going after now. I had a lengthy conversation with him about how to appeal to employers for the new kind of job he was going for, because it was a career change for him.”
Calling him “incredibly receptive” to all her advice, Folster said Mohammed was a joy to help counsel through his job search.
“I loved working with him, because he was a real sponge. He was very open and very keen to actually follow my advice, because he was serious about finding work.”
– Linda Folster, Yorkville University Career Advisor
Within just three weeks of their first meeting, in fact, Mohammed had already sent Folster an ‘impressive’ revised version of his resume.
“I was really excited about the possibilities for him…and not at all surprised when I heard he’d gotten the job,” she added. “He is a stellar example of a student who is very engaged, hard-working, and open to learning about how to get his desired result. He was the perfect success story.”
That sentiment was echoed by Janine Antonacci, Yorkville’s Director of Business Development, who likewise lauded Mohammed’s “fantastic journey” with Yorkville University – particularly in his dealings with her team of industry liaisons as they worked to find him his first professional job.
“Through the Business Development Office’s mission and work, we are targeting specific types of job opportunities for our BBA graduates – this includes things like project coordinator, entry-level administrative positions, sales positions, and, of course, accounting positions,” she said, noting that it all ties back to what the student desires as their outcome.
“(Farhan) was willing to put his best foot forward through every potential job opportunity we presented, and it wasn’t a short road – it took time and multiple appointments, but he never gave up. From being presented to multiple job opportunities, working through his resume several different times, and, of course, finally nailing that interview – and we’re so, so proud and excited for his new adventure.”
Both the Career Services and Business Development teams are now excited to help even more soon-to-be Yorkville graduates land their dream jobs.
“Transitioning to the workforce is scary. It’s a huge shift going from student to employee, but we want you to know that you’re not on this journey alone – we have a dedicated team here to help you each step of the way,” Varakin said in his message to Yorkville’s upcoming graduating classes of 2021.
“From finding out where to look, to polishing up your resume, to getting over the stresses of an interview, to hopefully finding that employment – although this road is scary to take, know that you’re not taking it alone. You have our support.”
For more information about the Grad-to-Work initiative, reach out to Career Services here.
