EVANSTON, Ill. — First-year student-athletes got their first taste of NU for Life Tuesday with introductions to networking and professional development.
"This first step is so important," said Julie Hammer, the assistant athletic director for career enhancement and employer relations. "Getting a head-start on best practices for getting jobs and internships can pay off down the road. Having the event led by members of the NU for Life advisory committee — current upperclassmen — added another layer of engagement that was really powerful."
The first-year student-athletes learned vital skills ranging from résumé construction to business attire to proper email writing. They even took professional headshots and built their LinkedIn pages.
Each information session was led by student-athlete upperclassmen, who were able to leverage their real-world experience of the professional realm to teach their peers and teammates who are new to the process.
"It's great to see the success other student-athletes have had with NU for Life," said first-year men's golfer Everton Hawkins. "It gives me, and I'm sure the other freshmen, a lot of confidence going forward."
The main goal of the event was instilling confidence — both in the student-athletes themselves but also in their knowledge of the university resources around them. In the same way that professional interactions will be much improved after this session, as will their comfort in reaching out to NU for Life for assistance with their professional careers.
"Professional development is something that hadn't really been on many of these first-year students' radars," said Haley Albers, an executive member of the NU for Life advisory board. "For us to help fill them in on what resources are available is so valuable."
This is the beginning of a four-year curriculum for student-athletes through the NU for Life program. They will receive one-on-one career consulting, informational interviews, as well as access to internship and job opportunities.
In addition to equipping student-athletes for success on the field, Northwestern provides resources for student-athletes to thrive in the classroom and after graduation.
In the upcoming years, these first-year student-athletes will get the chance to network with professionals, will experience I-MAP — a 3-5 day immersion experience in an industry of their choice, and will have the opportunity to apply for the annual Kabiller Award, which offers standout student-athletes a $5,000 grant for use in professional development.
"This first step is so important," said Julie Hammer, the assistant athletic director for career enhancement and employer relations. "Getting a head-start on best practices for getting jobs and internships can pay off down the road. Having the event led by members of the NU for Life advisory committee — current upperclassmen — added another layer of engagement that was really powerful."
The first-year student-athletes learned vital skills ranging from résumé construction to business attire to proper email writing. They even took professional headshots and built their LinkedIn pages.
Each information session was led by student-athlete upperclassmen, who were able to leverage their real-world experience of the professional realm to teach their peers and teammates who are new to the process.
"It's great to see the success other student-athletes have had with NU for Life," said first-year men's golfer Everton Hawkins. "It gives me, and I'm sure the other freshmen, a lot of confidence going forward."
The main goal of the event was instilling confidence — both in the student-athletes themselves but also in their knowledge of the university resources around them. In the same way that professional interactions will be much improved after this session, as will their comfort in reaching out to NU for Life for assistance with their professional careers.
"Professional development is something that hadn't really been on many of these first-year students' radars," said Haley Albers, an executive member of the NU for Life advisory board. "For us to help fill them in on what resources are available is so valuable."
This is the beginning of a four-year curriculum for student-athletes through the NU for Life program. They will receive one-on-one career consulting, informational interviews, as well as access to internship and job opportunities.
In addition to equipping student-athletes for success on the field, Northwestern provides resources for student-athletes to thrive in the classroom and after graduation.
In the upcoming years, these first-year student-athletes will get the chance to network with professionals, will experience I-MAP — a 3-5 day immersion experience in an industry of their choice, and will have the opportunity to apply for the annual Kabiller Award, which offers standout student-athletes a $5,000 grant for use in professional development.