Written by Sarah Stephens and Lacey Vest, Public Relations majors and participants of Career Services trip.
21 bobcats, three career service
advisors, and two vans. That’s all it took to create a few days of adventure
and long-lasting memories all for the sake of meeting up with established Texas
State University alumni based out of Houston, Texas.
This trip, otherwise known as
‘H-Town Bound: Careers Downtown’, was planned to give a few select students a
glimpse of what it took to stand out in their job search and how to snag that
dream job we’ve envisioned having since stepping on campus and declaring a major.
Four main events were planned for
us on this quick, thirty-hour adventure-the first being a networking dinner at
Blackfinn American Grille. This was where a panel of Texas State graduates
employed in Houston would offer up their words of wisdom.
There was a diverse selection of majors on this trip-ranging
from business and public-relations to criminal justice and health
administrations-so it was very beneficial to sit and hear from graduates that
had studied similar things.
Throughout the panel, we learned the immense power that
networking holds. We also heard how beneficial joining and getting involved
with campus organizations could be, as they oftentimes sharpen skills and widen
knowledge about our future profession or industry.
After the panel ended, about 30 more alumni joined us
for dinner. We spoke of shared professors and what a typical workday would look
like once we joined our predecessors out in the working world. One student was
pleased to hear that it wasn’t necessary to work in the same field as your
degree post-graduation while others enjoyed learning of how bustling and
reaping with career opportunities Houston truly was.
The following morning entailed an early wake-up call. We all
slugged down to the hotel lobby for breakfast and then jetted off to
Halliburton for a 9 AM visit. Upon arrival to the very large and impressive
Halliburton campus, we were each given name tags and split into two tour
groups.
Our tour began with a look into the science side of
engineering. We peered through glass windows into laboratories and saw where
all the magic takes place at Halliburton. Then on the second part of the tour we were guided through
the final stages of the assembly for the machinery. We even ran into a Texas
State graduate who was currently employed at the company and was excited to
hear we were from his neck of the woods. Halliburton was a great look inside the corporate world. Our
tour guides explained all the different job opportunities, and some of the
students were saying they could envision themselves working there.
The next stop on our tour was to PLS Logistics, a shipping
company in Midtown. As soon as we walked in the doors, we immediately felt the
change of pace. Everyone in the office was dressed in jeans and t-shirts, some
throwing around a football and chatting with their neighbors.
The atmosphere was inviting and had many students saying
that this was their favorite stop of the day because the company made us feel
so welcomed.
After watching a short video about the PLS culture, we were
introduced to Tori, a recent Texas State graduate, and successful employee at
the company. She told us how much she enjoyed working at PLS and that any of us
could do well there. Tori also mentioned PLS Logistics is specifically interested
in hiring Texas State graduates for their company because of all the success
the other bobcats have brought them.
The final leg of our trip was spent at the Texas Children’sHospital (TCH), where we met up with Andrae
Turner, a Texas State graduate and current Manager of Ambulatory Clinics Cardiology. Turner made sure that he accommodated each of us by
answering our questions that covered a wide spectrum of issues such as whether
a cure for cancer could be in the works to if Public Relations was needed in hospitals around
Houston.
Towards the end of our Q&A, Turner gave up a lasting bit
of advice - "know a little bit about a lot of different industries. READ to stay
connected. This all makes a well-rounded individual and prospective employee."
Before we left and our meeting with Turner came to a close,
we were offered a brief tour which gave us an intimate view and realistic
perspective of what working in a massive, crowded, and fast-paced hospital such
as TCH was like. We toured the floors, viewed the different departments, and
lastly saw an enormous toy railroad track that could keep both children and
adults entertained for hours on end.
And then, as quickly as it all began, the trip came to a
close
The 21 bobcats and three career advisors fumbled back into
the two vans and we drove back to the hills of San Marcos with stories ready to
be told and hunger in our stomachs to chase our dreams. Ultimately, we returned
back to campus with gained knowledge and skill set, ready to perform
exceedingly well in the workforce.
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