While Lancaster Bible College focuses on educating students to “think and live a biblical worldview,” the second part of the college mission is to “proclaim Christ by serving Him in the Church and society.” That service after graduation, whether in ministry or the professional world, places students on a career path that is ready for impact.
LBC’s Communication & Media Arts and Business Administration departments recently combined efforts to host the “Launch Your Future: Career Night” event. During the evening gathering on April 16, 2024, students met with local employers, learned about internship opportunities and grew their network of active professionals.
Representatives from Chick-fil-A, WebFX, Water Street Mission, Crossworld, MissionGO, Kauffman CPA Company, UPS and Clark Associates were on hand to share with students about internship and career opportunities and provide in-person connections to help them begin to form their own networks.
Several LBC alumni, including Derek Bigley (’18), a Chick-fil-A Talent Director, Jared Yoder (’14), a Recruitment Specialist for Clark Associates, Tyler Baughman (’19), Director of Enterprise Accounts at UPS, and Isaac Gutierrez (’20), a missionary mobilizer for MissionGO, presented job information and advice to their Charger counterparts.
“In every career I’ve witnessed for over 37 years, talent, intelligence and hard work only get someone so far,” explained Thom Scott, assistant Communication professor at LBC. “For the ones who excel, there has been a measure of intentionality in their self-education and career knowledge. They get to know people in the field they want to be in. They find out what they need to learn above and beyond school. And they have perspective on entry-level expectations and paths to advancement.”
Scott’s goal in organizing the career event was to do just that—provide students with the opportunity to get to know people in their field, discover what they can learn about the job market both now and after graduation, and get an inside perspective of what employers are looking for.
The evening allowed time for students to mingle and talk with potential employers, then wrapped with a panel discussion that included a representative from each organization. Moderated by LBC master’s student and former Miss Maryland Kayla Willing (’25), who is enrolled in the college’s 4+1 program in Strategic Communication Leadership, the panelists answered questions such as the following:
- What stands out on a resume, within a LinkedIn profile and in an interview?
- What are practical things students can learn and cultivate now to set them up for success later?
- How does one start from the bottom and eventually reach a dream job?
- What is one piece of knowledge you wish you knew as a student?
The panelists shared practical advice as well, such as the types of questions to ask in an interview, how to become better at time management, and how they balance and live out their faith working in both secular and Christian environments.
“Taking advantage of an event like this is a great way to set yourself up for success and to maximize your abilities and knowledge to be qualified for any opportunity that God should call you to,” Scott said.