The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Bevo gets a job
12.18.2013 | Football, Longhorn Foundation
The Texas Longhorns seniors met with high-level executives on Tuesday night to get a feel for their entrance into the job market.
Dressed in new suits provided by the Athletics Department, the Texas Longhorn seniors had the opportunity to meet and have dinner with Walmart executives on Tuesday night on the ninth floor of the University of Texas Club at DKR- Texas Memorial Stadium.
The Walmart representatives were from various departments within the company, but all acted as mentors to the seniors. They offered advice about interviewing, crafting resumes and making good first impressions.
Jean Bryant, the football team's academic / life skills counselor, helped organize the event.
"[The executives are] here to help them or give them knowledge or information on how to make the transition from school to career," Bryant said. "They give them ideas on what the trends are, what they're looking for and how they go about selecting an employee. These are things they should be aware of as they go out and start searching for their career path."
Bryant acknowledges that many athletes that come through the University of Texas will not make it to the professional level in their sport. Even if they do, many professional athletes' careers do not last very long.
"One of the biggest reasons I chose UT was because of the academics," said senior offensive tackle Donald Hawkins. "UT is known for athletics as well, but the academics were a big deal for me.
"The NFL maybe lasts a few years. After the NFL, the people you meet here may be able to set you up later in life to achieve things outside of sports and help you get a better job."
Senior quarterback Case McCoy said his brother, Colt, told him to take advantage of his education and opportunities like this dinner.
"Just in the last few weeks, I'm starting to think about what I am doing next," McCoy said. "What's next in my life? What's the next chapter for me? I understand I don't know exactly what I want to do, but I look to have some questions answered today through this process and build relationships.
"Once you get your T-Ring and accomplish a lot here, both in the classroom and on the field, there are opportunities out there for you."
Former Texas soccer player Kara Hoffman knows firsthand how beneficial this dinner can be. She attended this same dinner last year and graduated in May. After networking and keeping in touch with people she met at the event, she got a job in Walmart's marketing department.
"It's [the athletics department] such a close knit network of resources that I didn't even notice while I was in it. These guys are so excited to be here and it's not something that they have to do, it's something they want to do," Hoffman said. "They want to come here and help as much as they can."
The Longhorns listened intently as Charles Holley, Walmart's CFO, spoke to them about how important first impressions are and the need to practice before interviews. He also encouraged them to take career risks and persevere.
Tony Rogers, Walmart's senior vice president of marketing; Brett Biggs, Walmart's executive vice president and CFO for Walmart U.S.; and many more executives spoke at the event.
Kevin Pate, Walmart's VP DMM of electronics and a former UT baseball player, spoke to the seniors about entering the job market after being a student-athlete. He said it is vital for people who are new to the work force to prioritize, display leadership and teamwork. As student-athletes, these seniors understand these attributes better than many other job candidates.
"You never get a chance to make that first impression twice," Bryant said. "Some of them haven't worked because their summers have been spent training. They need to know what to do, how to put together a good resume, how to interview and questions that might be asked. Walmart has offered to be a resource for them. "
In addition to the opportunity to meet the Walmart executives, the seniors received new suits for interviews. Walmart representatives were spread throughout the room at different tables so the Longhorns could talk to them during dinner. After the dinner and presentations, there was a Q&A session.
The University of Texas Athletics Department works to create well-rounded individuals who are not only successful on the field, but also in their careers.
"This is definitely another perk of playing at the University of Texas," McCoy said. "They're very concerned and focused on the way we play but also everything after you graduate, after you get your T-Ring, after you move on with your career.
"This is another step tonight to meet some people that are very successful in the business world. Hopefully we can build a relationship with them, but at the same time, have questions for them and have them answer our questions about the interviewing process for all of us as seniors."
