Student-Athletes Begin Suited for Success Career Series

LUBBOCK, Texas – In college athletics, Selection Sunday is normally reserved for early March when men's basketball teams across the country learn their fate for the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

At Texas Tech, however, Selection Sunday comes twice a year, first in February and then again in March.

There is no first round game to prepare for in February. Instead, this is when Texas Tech student-athletes participating in the Suited for Success Career Series select the business attire they will receive upon completion of the program.

"Selection Sunday within the Suited for Success Career Series allows students to pick out their own professional attire," said Amy Heard, Senior Associate Athletics Director in charge of the J.T. and Margaret Talkington Leadership Academy. "Having the proper attire removes a potential road block and allows Texas Tech student-athletes to make a positive first impression. They can arrive at interviews, career days and networking events with confidence."

Training SZN is well underway! Last Sunday our participants took the first step in earning professional attire. Selection Sunday was fun and filled with professional attire tips!

Check out the recap of Selection Sunday below.#WreckEm #SuitedForSuccess pic.twitter.com/YEyQ1M6lsF
— Talkington Leadership Academy (@JTMTalkingtonLA) February 13, 2019

The Suited for Success program, entering its fifth year, boasts its largest class in its history with 83 participating student-athletes this spring who will undergo five career sessions designed for life outside of college.

This year's class consists of 36 juniors, 42 seniors and five fifth-year student-athletes that will participate in sessions on professional etiquette, networking and interview skills. Each student-athlete will also have his or her resume reviewed by a number of local professionals, adding an extra prospective in how to succeed in the workforce.

"The Suited for Success series is truly an incredible opportunity for our student-athletes," said Destini Dulin, an assistant director of career development in the leadership academy. "They will finish this series walking away with tangible skills and the confidence to excel in whatever professional path they choose after college."

In addition to already selecting proper business attire, the leadership academy has hosted two Suited for Success sessions titled "Building Your Highlight Reel" and "Executive Image." Student-athletes will participate in three additional trainings prior to the April 17 congratulatory dinner that serves as the first opportunity to wear their new suit.

The "Building Your Highlight Reel" session focused primarily on resume building as student-athletes were presented ways to highlight their strengths and experience on paper. Each resume is distributed to members of the Lubbock community at the completion of the career series, giving student-athletes an opportunity to showcase their abilities in front of potential employers or even future references.

"The resume information was very useful to us," track and field senior Isaac Shepard said. "The ability to write a complete resume only leverages our experience as student-athletes."

Check out the recap SSCS Session 1: Building Your Highlight Reel #TrainingSZN #ResumeBuilding #Elite #DeterminedToBeGreat pic.twitter.com/sYRpUD1gHB
— Talkington Leadership Academy (@JTMTalkingtonLA) February 1, 2019

The Executive Image workshop, meanwhile, provided hands-on instruction in the areas of personal branding, social media etiquette, meeting room decorum and non-verbal speaking skills. The session was led by Will Baggett, the operations coordinator for the College Football Playoff as well as the founder of Executive Image, a national professional presence training program.

"The ability to bring in such an accomplished professional such as Will Baggett is an unbelievable opportunity for our student-athletes," said Lamarr Pottinger, the Assistant Athletics Director for the leadership academy. "Will is an engaging presenter, and his workshop on professional conduct is a key element of the career series."

Baggett will return to Lubbock on April 10 for the final session of the Suited for Success Career Series labeled "The Blueprint." Prior to that session, student-athletes will learn dining etiquette and then participate in a series of mock interviews with professionals throughout the Tech campus and Lubbock community.

For the leadership academy, the goal is for each student-athlete to have his or her name called one day by a future employer, who will offer that first job opportunity.

After all, it's one shining moment that student-athlete will never forget.

A huge thank you to @W_BaggsCFP for sharing his knowledge on personal presentation & Executive Image. Our student-athletes have been raving about what they learned and can't wait to have him back in a couple of months!

Check out the recap of Session 2: Competitive Edge below! pic.twitter.com/VdbL58tqiR
— Talkington Leadership Academy (@JTMTalkingtonLA) February 11, 2019

Texas Tech University Athletics

Student-Athletes Begin Suited for Success Career Series

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