Q&A with Hayley Schevenius of the Office of Career Development and Calling

As a career coach in Bethel’s Office of Career Development and Calling, Hayley Schevenius helps equip all Bethel students with guidance for their next steps. She is passionate about helping students explore meaningful application of their skills and talents through resume preparation, career assessments, connecting internships, and more. Schevenius and other career coaches support students through one-on-one appointments, classroom presentations, and events like employer showcases. And they meet with alumni on topics ranging from making a career change to updating their resume to reflect mid-career status. 

What is your favorite part about helping students prepare for their careers?

Stories have always been motivating and powerful for me. When I meet with a student, I have the opportunity to learn their story; where they have been, where they are now, and where they want to go in the future. It’s a blessing to be part of their journey and help them discover how to use their skills and talents where God is calling them to serve.

What kind of support does the Office of Career Development and Calling offer students?

In Career Development and Calling, we help you prepare for your career by exploring how God uniquely created you. Our resources will help you reflect on your gifts, values, and skills. We then use these to coach and guide you toward opportunities and career pathways that enable you to live these out and develop them further. 

We offer support to students who may find themselves at any number of points along their career readiness journey. If you’re just getting started, we offer career assessments like the Strong Interest Inventory and Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) that can help you begin to figure out how God designed you. If you’ve already decided on a major and career direction, we can help build out a LinkedIn page that is optimized for networking and applying for internships. As you get ready to launch from Bethel, we help ensure you can interview with confidence and that your resume communicates your skills and qualifications.

How can students access these services? Do they need to seek them out or are some integrated into their course experiences at Bethel?

We connect with students in a wide variety of ways. Through a recently awarded NetVUE grant, we are partnering with instructors to embed career readiness lessons into their curriculum. Students can also use our Handshake platform to schedule an appointment to meet with a Career Coach. Students can also use Handshake to find jobs and internships. We offer in-person, virtual, or phone appointment options. We have many partnerships with academic departments and programs across Bethel, and we frequently present in classes on topics such as networking, job search exploration, resumes, interviewing, and LinkedIn. For example, I recently conducted an MBTI Interpretation session with the freshman cohort of The 25. 

When should students start thinking about things like internships, experience, and potential jobs? Do you recommend any key steps for students throughout their college journey?

In a 2023 report published by Talent Cloud company iCIMS, 42% of employers indicated they see one to two years of internship experience as ideal for new hires. The employers I interact with are seeking candidates who not only have theoretical knowledge of concepts but also come with some hands-on experience in using that knowledge on real-world projects and problems.

Our office recommends internships start in either sophomore or junior year to ensure students will graduate with the experience employers are seeking. We have created a career checklist that outlines key steps students can take in each year they are at Bethel.  

What advice would you offer to students who are exploring potential careers and looking to gain experience?

Know that everything you are part of at Bethel is helping you gain skills employers want to see. Your resident assistant (RA) job or participating in sports is giving you leadership and time management skills. Serving in a student organization or working as a teaching assistant (TA) is giving you collaboration and problem-solving skills. Being a student is a great opportunity to try out a number of different interests before you choose a pathway so use this time to explore all of your interests. 

Cover letters and resumes can feel daunting for students entering the workforce. How do you and the Career Development and Calling team help students with these kinds of job-hunting steps?

We encourage students to use our free platform, SkillsFirst to create their resumes and cover letters. SkillsFirst is great because it provides templates students can choose from and examples of strong bullet points. Via the platform, students can submit their resume and cover letter for a career coach to review. Our office has a flier wall with helpful handouts that provide tips on how to write these. The handouts are also in the “resources” section of Handshake.

In your work with Career Development and Calling, is there anything you've found particularly encouraging?

I have seen partnerships grow as we continue to integrate with academic departments and other offices in creative ways. Some recent examples have been partnering with Student Life to host an interview preparation event for RA candidates, working with the Intro to Wellbeing classes to offer interactive experiences for students to explore their interests, and conducting department-specific employer showcases where students listen to employers present on their opportunities and then have the chance for networking with them. There is great energy and support for our work and that is helping us to grow and expand our reach across the university.

How can parents best support their students in the process of discerning their career and calling?

I think students experience a lot of pressure and anxiety connected to these topics whether that be because they feel behind where the rest of their friends are or they become overwhelmed with all the possibilities. Parents can support their students and alleviate this pressure and anxiety in a number of ways. First, encourage students to use the resources provided by our office. Our Prospective Students and Families page is a great place to start. Next, pray for students and ask questions about what is giving their study energy and excitement. Finally, parents can share their network with their student. For example, if their student has an interest in engineering and they have a friend working in that field offer to help set up a time for the student to chat with that person for an Informational Interview. 

Pursue your calling at Bethel. 

Bethel University equips students with the resources they need to thrive wherever God calls them to serve. Discover how the Office of Career Development and Calling will provide you with guidance for wherever you’re going next. 

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