College-to-Career Development
The program provides a number of professional development opportunities and tools for students to engage in throughout the academic year to build necessary professional skills and business acumen. Our student-led Professional Development Program (PDP) offers events that expose students to various career paths, workshops and experiences. Through our Top Gun Training Program, executives engage with students to provide input to prepare students for the career-search process and for the workplace. The program provides financial support for students to compete in sales competitions, including four competitions at Baylor and 5-6 competitions at universities across the country. Finally, the program utilizes ProPass, a gamified mobile system that empowers students to track professional development activities.
Professional Development Program (PDP)
The Professional Development Program (PDP) prepares students for a successful college-to-career transition. Developed for students within the Hankamer School of Business, the PDP is a student-run program with a series of events designed to facilitate learning opportunities for students outside of the classroom. Students enhance their understanding of different fields and build a solid understanding of different career opportunities.
Top Gun
Baylor Center for Professional Selling's Top Gun Training is a professional development event for ProSales students, who, through intentional professional development activities, are empowered to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful businesspeople.
The fall Top Gun program is an offsite retreat with sessions on sales improvisation, business conversations, dining etiquette and professional attire. The retreat includes a full day with business executives from Corporate Partners and Center Advisory and Ambassador Boards, where executives engage with students during workshops and provide one-on-one coaching on resumes, social media, business conversations and the interview process.
During spring Top Gun programs, executives coach and prepare students to succeed in the workplace. Highly interactive sessions engage executives and students with specific business situations. Different topics are addressed each year including sales enablement (2020), internal selling (2019), managing difficult conversations (2018), business travel and entertainment (2017), managing one’s boss (2016) and generational differences in the workforce (2015).
Sales Competitions
Students gain real-world sales experience by competing in sales competitions at Baylor and across the country. High-level, complex role play scenarios encourage students to develop essential sales skills and business acumen while interacting with business professionals from a variety of industries.
The Center invests approximately $40,000/year to support Professional Sales student participation in sales competitions.
Sales competitions include the following:
- Baylor Business Business Development (BBBD)
- Baylor Business Ethics Competition (BBEC)
- Baylor Business Selling Outside (BBSO)
- Baylor Business Value Analysis (BBVA)
- Challenger Sales Institute
- Great Northwoods Sales Warm-Up (GNW) at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
- National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC) at Kennesaw State University
- National Team Selling Competition (NTSC) at Indiana University
- University of Toledo Invitational Sales Competition
Student Showcase
The Baylor Center for Professional Selling Student Showcase is a reverse career fair and Corporate Partners are invited to attend and engage with students. The Student Showcase allows ProSales students to present themselves creatively to Corporate Partners.
Champions Dinner
The Baylor Center for Professional Selling Champions Dinner is a Partnership benefit for top-level partners. Companies identify ProSales students to invite to a private dinner. The dinner serves as an additional networking opportunity.
ProPass (Professional Passport)
ProPass (Professional Passport) is designed to encourage students' professional development. ProPass empowers students to record professional development activities and assigns point values to each activity. ProPass also creates a printable report that can be shared with recruiters as a resume supplement.
| Levels | Required Points | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Platinum | 100,000 points | (1) entry in raffle for suitcase |
| Gold | 75,000 points | (1) entry in raffle for dopp kit/makeup bag |
| Silver | 50,000 points | Leather Padfolio |
Each ProPass activity has a unique point value:
- Internships (10,000 points)
- Sales Competitions (10,000 points)
- Job Shadows (5,000 points)
- ePortfolios (5,000 points)
- Job/Internship Interviews (3,500 points)
- Informational Interviews (2,500 points)
- Mock Interviews (2,500 points)
- Career Fairs (2,500 points)
- Networking Events (1,500 points)
- Executive Talk/PDP Event (1,000 points)