BT天堂

In order to enhance our ability to assist you and your student, we have鈥痙eveloped several FAQ's to address the most common questions we receive. Click on one of the questions below to see the answer.

What is the Global Professional Skills (GPS) Program?

罢丑别听Global Professional Skills (GPS) Program听is an optional co-curricular program for degree-seeking undergraduates. Students work towards GPS Program completion throughout their entire academic degree program.听听

Students who complete the GPS Program requirements their senior year earn a GPS Certificate, and a mention of their GPS achievement is added to their official BT天堂 academic transcript.听

The goal of the GPS Program is to prepare students for career success after they graduate from BT天堂. GPS students think explicitly about, and develop an understanding of, the skills and knowledge they have acquired both inside and outside of the classroom. These students are focused on establishing the ability to articulate what听they鈥檝e听learned and how it鈥檚 applicable in the context of their career objectives.听

Does the choice of major determine or limit career choice?

We believe that a major does not determine your student鈥檚 career path. Instead, we encourage students to follow their interests and study something they enjoy, examine their values and personality, and explore careers that best fit with this self-knowledge. BT天堂鈥檚 liberal arts education is determined to educate the whole student, instilling graduates from each major with the听competencies听they need to thrive is a large variety of careers.听听

How can I best assist my student with career development?鈥

Career development is a lifelong, personal process that constantly needs revisiting and revising. It is important to remember that it is the responsibility of the student to take charge of his or her own career.听It is a unique process and often chaotic, but in the end worth the empowering experience.听听听

Our entire staff dedicates the majority of their time to meeting one on one with students and providing personalized career advice. Students can drop in during office hours or schedule their appointments online. Encourage your student to come in and meet with us.听

As a parent, you can best assist your student through this process by asking questions and listening. Students and young professionals need supportive sounding boards, and parents are typically an obvious choice. As you fulfill this need, it is important to remember that helping your student attain and maintain an empowered and motivated state of mind is the goal. Students must be in the driver鈥檚 seat when it comes to their own career development.听

What attributes do employers look for?

NACE (National Association for Colleges and Employers, a professional association) conducts research surveys of employers. According their 2020 Job Outlook survey, employers seek the following attributes in candidates: problem-solving, teamwork, work ethic, analytical/quantitative skills, communication (written), leadership, communication (verbal), initiative, detail-oriented, technical skills, flexibility, interpersonal skills, computer skills, organization, strategic planning, friendly, entrepreneurial, tactful, creativity, fluency in a foreign language.听

When should my student start using career development services?鈥

We welcome students to visit the center early and often.听Preparation of application materials can often take a semester,听and allowing a second semester to create and execute a job or internship search听is also听recommended.听听

What is student "placement"?

BT天堂 does not place students into jobs or internships, but rather provides a variety of tools and services to support them in learning how to create and conduct a successful employment search. Students can find a full list of our services and resources in the 鈥渟tudent鈥 section of the website.听

Can my student network with alumni?

In addition to a variety of events hosted with alumni, the Career Center also runs the Global Mentoring Program with the Alumni Affairs office. We also encourage students to create a LinkedIn profile and use this to connect strategically with alumni. BT天堂 has a vast worldwide alumni听network, which听is a great resource for students.听

Should my student have an internship after the first year?

Students are eligible to complete an internship once they have completed 32 credits (undergraduate) or 16 credits (graduate), and听are听encouraged to complete one or more internships during their studies.

What resources do you offer to help students find jobs and internships?

The Career Center maintains the job and internship database where we post offers regularly. We also maintain an extensive list of internship databases that are industry or location specific for targeted searches. Additionally, we have a mailing list of 500+ employers that use our听听to directly search for talent.

How do I (or my student) learn about upcoming career events?

All events for students at BT天堂听are shared听via听.