WFU grads are launching careers

The numbers show that 98 percent of the Class of 2014 are either employed or in graduate school with 83 percent of the class sharing outcomes.

“Wake Forest has a unique opportunity to help students not only imagine possible careers but to facilitate the relationships to guide and support them in their choices,” says Andy Chan, Wake Forest’s vice president of career development. “The first job after college is just one step in the journey toward a meaningful life and career.”

Over his four years at Wake Forest, senior Ty Kraniak says he visited the Office of Personal and Career Development (OPCD) about 50 times. “I went to every career fair and to every information session to talk with the Peace Corps recruiter. When I was accepted at Teach for America and the Peace Corps, my coaches at OPCD helped me think through which opportunity would best serve my long-term goals and have a lasting impact on others. ”

Since Kraniak will be working in a hospital in Rwanda during his time with the Peace Corps, OPCD also helped him secure a place in graduate school when he returns. Kraniak will study global public health. After traveling to more than 80 countries since he was six and majoring in anthropology and Spanish, and minoring in health and human services, he says he knows this is the right starting path for his career.

As a national model for creating a college-to-career community, Wake Forest continues to look for innovative ways to help students connect with employers by offering:

Speed-dating-style networking. While on-campus recruiting has declined nationwide in the last ten years, Wake Forest builds the relationships needed to attract more than 80 employers hiring across all academic majors. In a creative take on the typical career fair, an upcoming ‘STEM Slam’ will have companies rotating to meet the students rather than the other way around.

A re-designed career coaches program meets students where they are. OPCD career coaches offer targeted career preparation for specific academic disciplines — providing a point of contact for every student no matter what his or her major.

A University-wide, one-stop shop for student recruiting broadens opportunities across disciplines. Wake Forest’s employer relations team serves all students — providing go-to-market opportunities for all fields of study. Most universities have career offices for separate programs such as business, liberal arts, or graduate arts and sciences.