Here at the CCO, we encourage students to take full advantage of the professional development opportunities found on campus. Some of our most valuable resources are our Peer Consultants! All of our Peer Consultants are Purdue undergraduate students who have a keen eye for resumes, cover letters and interview advice. You can find these friendly faces in Young Hall, Room 132 during our Drop-in hours, Monday - Friday from 10am-4pm.
Before you sit down with one of these great individuals, we want to introduce you to them! Next up is Peer Consultant Supervisor, Kayla Babcock.
What year are you and what are you studying?
Senior in Organizational Leadership
How long have you been working at the CCO?
I have been working with the Center for Career Opportunities for close to 3 years now.
Describe your journey. Where did you start at the CCO and how did you get to the position you are in today?
I started with the CCO in the second week of my Freshman year at Purdue. I realized I had a lot more free time in my schedule than originally thought and decided to apply for a job as a desk assistant with the Center for Career Opportunities.
After spending a year learning the ropes of the CCO, the awesome staff, and some new professional skills, I decided to apply to be a Peer Consultant. I went through the same application process as a normal Peer Consultant would go through and got the job! I spent a year as a Peer Consultant where I joined the recruitment and outreach committees.
This past summer, I spent the summer working at the CCO as the Training & Development Intern where I coordinated and developed a year-long budget and 3-day training program for the incoming Peer Consultants. At the beginning of this school year, I stepped into the role of Peer Consultant Supervisor and I am loving every second of my time here!
What are your responsibilities? What does a Peer Consultant Supervisor do?
My responsibilities as the Peer Consultant Supervisor are to facilitate ongoing, semester-long training for our Peer Consultants, coordinate weekly meetings between professional staff members and the Peer Consultants, conduct mock interviews for students preparing for interviews, manage outreach requests for the PC staff, and do all the other normal tasks of a Peer Consultant.
What have you learned about resumes and professionalism through this position?
I have learned everything I know about resumes and professionalism from my experience working with the CCO for the past three years. More specifically, I have learned from the Peer Consultants and the students I work with about different industries, professions, skills, and experiences that I never would have been exposed to otherwise.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part about my job is the people I work with and learning something new every day! I enjoy being in the presence of every Peer Consultant and professional staff member because the work atmosphere is empowering and exciting! Additionally, I get the chance to be a "sponge" and learn something new every time I work with a student. I value the experiences that every student brings to our conversations during resume reviews, cover letter reviews, mock interviews, and other services.
What is one piece of advice you would give Purdue students?
My one piece of advice about professionalism is to never be afraid of putting yourself "out there". Apply to those jobs with lofty requirements! Talk to a prestigious company at the career fair! Ask questions and make yourself noticeable.
We are so grateful to have people like Kayla on our team! Want to meet the other fabulous people working at Purdue's Center for Career Opportunities? Checkout the other "Get to Know the Office" blog posts featured on our site.
As Always,
BOILER UP! HAMMER DOWN!
Lilli Cole
