Texas Christian University and the Housing and Residence Life Office is a featured program.
In July 2013, Housing & Residence Life hosted the first annual TPE@TCU, a mock interview program for summer interns designed to prepare them for their job search and The Placement Exchange. Based upon feedback from past interns, HRL knew that TCU’s interns in housing, greek life, and orientation desired more preparation for their first big job search. The response was to TPE@TCU, an opportunity for students to receive feedback from real professionals (and potential future employers) from an array of functional areas.
The first event included a networking lunch, mock interviews, and resume reviews for every participant. Originally designed as a small session for TCU interns, the event grew in its second year to include participants from Southern Methodist University, the University of North Texas, and other schools throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Graduate students participating in ACUHO-I, NODA, and other internship placement programs received valuable professional development and mentoring from professionals at each of these institutions that volunteered their time for the event.
In its second year, the program schedule was expanded to allow time for more mock interviews, a Q&A session with professional staff members, as well as a panel of new professionals who shared their experience from The Placement Exchange. Graduate students benefited greatly from this opportunity to sharpen their interview skills, and feedback from professional staff members that attended was overwhelmingly positive. TCU is preparing to host the third annual TPE@TCU in summer 2015, and looks forward to making it the biggest and best one yet!
Submitted by Evan Saperstein, Hall Director and Andrew Nash, Hall Director, Texas Christian University