The Core is an opportunity to inquire into the fundamental aspects of being and our relationship with God, nature and our fellow human beings.
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At the University of Dallas, we’re engaging students in the lifelong pursuit of wisdom, truth and virtue – and we’re also preparing them with the resources and network connections they need to discern their careers and vocations, the unique avenues in which they will continue to grow in that pursuit long after they’ve graduated.
This week on campus, our Office of Personal Career Development (OPCD) is hosting Odyssey Week: six days of career fairs and networking sessions with professionals from a variety of fields, wrapping up with an Alumni Career Panel at Alumni & Family Weekend this Saturday.
Odyssey Week events give students the opportunity to network with leaders representing the most common fields and employment opportunities pursued by UDallas graduates. At the government and nonprofit career fair, we host the FBI, Jesuit Volunteer Corps and the Dallas Police Department, among other organizations. Corporate events draw professionals from Enterprise Mobility, Subaru of America, Globe Life and other local businesses, while the alumni panel features graduates in the fields of medicine, law and publishing.
Director of Office of Personal Career Development Gaby O’Neill, BA ’11 MA ’17, says employers love the intimate atmosphere at UDallas career fairs and workshops where they always have significant engagement and they’re able to speak one-on-one with interested students.
“When employers come to UD, they sense that our students are different,” O’Neill explained. “I get this feedback all the time: ‘Your students are so professional, so polite, and they speak so eloquently.’ That’s something that sets us apart.”
Odyssey Week isn’t the only vocational exploration event available to students throughout the year. In addition to dozens of smaller events and regular career advising in the office, OPCD teams up with Campus Ministry to host a Vocations & Volunteer Fair every October, welcoming religious orders, volunteer programs and charities to campus for student discernment. In the spring, they partner with the St. Ambrose Center and our Classical Education Graduate Program to offer an Education Fair for those interested in teaching or school administration positions.
Chloe Shearer, BA ’25, smoothly transitioned into a position at CHRISTUS Health as a result of OPCD’s shadowing program. Initially interested in Human Resources, Shearer was chosen to shadow the Change Management Team at CHRISTUS, where she gained exposure to the different aspects of HR and eventually landed a full-time position. Shearer, whose degree is in psychology with concentrations in drama and biopsychology, found that the nuanced branches of HR seamlessly utilize her passions and skills. “[My employer] immediately recognized my strengths from my experience as a Production Stage Manager, which I now apply to my current position in a corporate environment,” Shearer explained.
OPCD’s mission is to help our students translate the soft skills they develop by studying the liberal arts into valuable contributions in the workforce. These resources are proving incredibly effective, as our latest data indicates: within six months of graduation, 99.2% of 2024 graduates were employed or enrolled in a continuing education program. Our students are equipped with the critical thinking and communication skills they need to be successful, and our Odyssey Week events, along with other OPCD programs, are giving them the opportunity to discern how they’re called to share those skills with the world.
Love ye truth and justice,
