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The job market is a cutthroat place at the moment, but Weber State University is still doing its part in facilitating students’ post-graduate careers by being one of the few schools that still holds Business Emphasis Week.
“It’s statistically significantly higher (your chance of getting a job) if you join a club,” said Andrew Gardiner, senator for the College of Business and Economics at WSU.
According to Pat Wheeler, coordinator of recruitment and career development in the business administration department, Business Emphasis Week allows students across campus to become more aware of various business majors, such as human resource management, supply chain management, marketing or finance.
The week consisted of games, prizes and guest speakers. Each activity was sponsored by several business clubs, including the Student Economic Association, Student Association of Supply Chain Management, Students in Human Resource Management, Weber Marketing Association and Beta Alpha Psi.
Nicole Lane, president of the Student Association of Supply Chain Management, said the supply chain business major is in high demand.
Lane said her goal was “to make people more aware of what supply chain is and to convert people into choosing a major in supply chain. Right now, there’s more employers that come to Weber State looking for supply chain majors than we have graduates to even fill.”
SASCM’s focus, Lane said, is to allow students to learn about their field through guest speakers and facility tours “where they get a chance to meet people who are hiring . . . and to see how the concepts they’re learning in class apply to real life.”
Students also had the opportunity to engage with speakers from local businesses, such as CEO Jeff Clark of J.D. Clark and Company, and Shawn Martin, a WSU alumnus who now works for Jones-Simkins, P.C., a certified public accounting firm.
“It’s good to get involved, and it’s good for networking,” said Logan England, a marketing major. “You just get to know other students and there’s a lot of opportunities that come out of them.”
Another student, Bob Hohsoh, joined the Student Economic Association after playing the club’s trivia game in the hallway.
“I plan on applying for grad school, and I think it’ll look good on an application,” Hohsoh said.
These activities have allowed students to prepare for Thursday’s Business and Industry Night at the Dee Events Center, where business majors will be able to converse with more than 100 nationwide and local businesses. England said he was hoping to speak to someone from Adobe and hopefully get an internship for the summer.
“(They) are looking to hire those who graduate . . . The point is to leave with either an intern opportunity or a job opportunity,” Gardiner said.
On Friday, a “Guess the Dow” game will be sponsored by the Students in Free Enterprise club in the Wattis Business Building. A prize will be awarded to the student who provides the most accurate guess.
“The whole point of Business Emphasis Week is to stress the importance of joining a club,” Gardiner said. “. . .(Students) who join the clubs and have experience and then can get an internship because of it will usually get the jobs; especially in today’s world, you have to.”
More information about the business clubs or Business Emphasis Week is available at www.weber.edu/SBE.