High Point, N.C., May 5, 2022 – As the Class of 2022 graduates prepare for Commencement this month, experts in High Point University’s Office of Career and Professional Development, as well as HPU seniors who have already lined up career plans, are available to discuss today’s job market and strategies for launching a career.

At HPU, the university puts a focus on life skills, which is evident by 98% of the Class of 2021 securing employment or continuing their education within 180 days of graduation.

Below are a variety of resources for stories about graduation season, professional development and today’s job market.

Members of the Class of 2022

Many members of the Class of 2022 are already accepting impressive job and graduate school offers. See a glimpse of their success here. Students are available for interview by request.

Tips from HPU’s Career Team

- Be open and flexible to all opportunities. Adapt to the company environment, whether that’s a hybrid workspace, in person or fully remote.

- Be humble, hungry and smart. This is what companies are looking for. Be humble enough that you have the skills but can be taught what you need to do, hungry enough to go after the work and be an asset to the organization, and smart enough to learn the information the company wants you to know.

- Reflect on your journey. Take time to look back on your journey, what you’ve gone through and all that has shaped you for this moment. Use all the experiences throughout college, both on and off campus to help in your future.

- Network with employers. Students should get in the habit of interacting with industry-related individuals, which could be recruiters at companies, conducting informational interviews with people in your network or your parent’s network. This gives students practice in talking about their needs, what they want and what they want to do.

- Ask what skills you want to learn. Whether that’s enhancing or learning a new skill. Ask what skills a company will provide and the mentorship opportunities there.

- Stay active on LinkedIn. Use this to connect with recruiters and industry professionals when looking for jobs that you may not see elsewhere.

- Research employers. HPU students research employers thoroughly before and during the interview process. Find out more about the company to learn their values, their mentorship programs and more to see if it’s a good fit. Read recent blog posts and news releases, even on the day of the interview, and ask intelligent questions during the interview to reflect their interest.

- Questions matter. Asking questions is an often-overlooked element of a successful interview. Be prepared with thoughtful, relevant questions to ask during the interview.

HPU’s Dr. Doug Hall, vice president of the Office of Career and Professional Development, is available to discuss why life skills matter and today’s workforce, current job market trends and how HPU prepares graduates to stand out among thousands of job applicants.

A Glimpse of Opportunities Provided by HPU’s Career Development Team

- Niche career fairs. In collaboration with numerous academic schools and departments, HPU’s Career and Professional Development team hosts small career fairs that target specific populations and majors. One example of many is the Sales Career Fair. This comes as an addition to a large-scale career and internship expo held in the fall.

- Assists students in landing impressive internships, full-time jobs and graduate school placement at companies such as JPMorgan Chase & Co., TikTok, Warner Bros., General Electric, Gartner, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Yale University, Northeastern University, Columbia University and many others. 

- Increased internship and shadowing opportunities. HPU engages parents, alumni and friends of the university through the Career Connectors Program. Participants are invited to identify an existing internship at their place of employment, host an HPU in the City site visit, create a new internship or make a donation to support stipends for students who need assistance with housing expenses while interning away from home.

- Current successful students serve as Peer Career Advisors, helping students with resume reviews, LinkedIn profiles and tips for finding internships during office drop-in hours.