Photo courtesy of Sydney Flaitz / Kelley making a camper pie at the EDGE Program kickoff event
BY KELSEY PURCELL, FEATURES EDITOR
The Competitive EDGE Program is a professional development program hosted by the Career and Professional Readiness Center. The program allows juniors and seniors to get “an edge” on their competition when it comes to preparation for their futures.
The program runs throughout the course of the year. Students receive feedback to improve their résumés, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles with the help of the EDGE ambassadors. They also have the opportunity to get one on one time to speak with career counselors from the Career and Professional Readiness Center, located on the second floor of the Reilly Center.
Alexandra Zgoda, an EDGE ambassador, said they created this year’s program to help each individual student meet their needs so that they are ready to enter the workforce.
Lorelei Kelley, a junior adolescent education and history major, said she hopes to improve her professional portfolio and skills during the program.
“I’m glad we’re writing a cover letter because I have not done one yet,” she said. “I know the EDGE does practice interviews and I need to do that as a graduation requirement.”
There are 69 students enrolled in EDGE this year. They have to meet deadlines to turn in their work for review and also participate in service learning activities of their choice.
The program hosted its kickoff event on Sept. 7 at the Marchiori Pavilion. The students in the program were split into two cohorts, took professional headshots and made camper pies on the bonfires.
At the kickoff event, the EDGE ambassadors, Zgoda, a senior management major, and Laura Esposito, a senior health science major, explained a rundown of the program. They passed out a schedule of events for students to complete throughout the year.
The students have to attend connection events throughout the year to get to know others in the program. The students get to reflect on what they learned and develop a sense of community among the cohort.
“My goal is for students to build upon their professionalism skills during these networking events, so they feel confident when speaking with employers in the future,” said Zgoda.
The first connection event will be held on Sept. 26. At this time, students are invited to socialize and get to know their peers in the program.
Zgoda was a member of the EDGE program last year. She said she got the most out of interviewing practice, which helped her land an internship.
“Applying for internships can be extremely overwhelming and I wasn’t always sure where to start or how to display myself in the best possible way,” she said.
Zgoda said she learned a better sense of professionalism from the networking events and seminars she attended for the program. Learning how to interact with professionals increased her confidence when it came time to sit down with employers for interviews.
“I’m hoping students will take away a new sense of self-assurance when preparing for job interviews and internships,” Zgoda said.
purcelk20@bonaventure.edu
