Century Group Prepares Soon-to-be Graduates for their Job Search

A classroom of 80 UC Irvine students listened intently as Century Group’s Kori Chapman spoke about what to do – and not to do – when embarking on a career search.

The class, New Venture Management/Entrepreneurship through UCI’s Business School, was comprised of undergraduate students preparing to graduate in the next year. Adjunct Professor Bill Morris tries to infuse the class with real world experiences, which he takes from his former career as a Wall Street Executive and CFO of a publicly-traded company, as well as his current role as a consultant on business-related matters.

He also invites special guests to convey a variety of perspectives. Ms. Chapman told them to begin by thinking about their education, their goals and where they see themselves in the next five years. With a strong understanding of those things, they would be able to sell themselves to any potential employer and stand out from the crowd.

“The information that Kori gave the students was great,” Professor Morris said. “They don’t know what they need to focus on, so from cover letters to resumes – what to do, what not to do – they drank it all in.”

An Associate Director for Client Services on Century Group’s Interim and Projects Services team, Ms. Chapman said the students asked a lot of questions about LinkedIn and other online resources. She spoke about the importance of managing an online presence and stressed the need to be careful about what you put online while trying to maintain a professional identity.

“A lot of bright kids are coming out of school and looking at the same jobs,” Professor Morris shared. “We showed them how to stand out, and Kori also provided a hiring perspective – leaving them with a variety of ways to get a foot in the door as they look for that first job.”