Specialized Units 

The Center for Professional Development (CPD) 

The Center for Professional Development is the most critical component of the career planning and placement process for School of Business students. The CPD has two broad objectives: 

· to develop and enhance the professional skills of School of Business students and 

· to coordinate all placement activities for both undergraduate and graduate business students. 

To achieve these objectives, the Center collaborates with industry professionals, faculty, staff, and students to ensure that each graduate has mastered the skills necessary to be successful in his/her professional pursuits and to provide graduating students with an opportunity to interview for employment. 

Professional Skills Enhancement 

The Center has designed a number of activities to enhance the skills of students, including 

· Professional Skills Modules – Some of these sessions, facilitated by visiting industry representatives, focus on issues that often are not taught in the curriculum, but that are critical for success on the job—etiquette, time management, appropriate dress, networking, salary negotiation, and the role and importance of recreation. Other sessions stress the importance of and seek to enhance the core competencies developed within the academic curriculum — research skills, written and oral communication skills, presentation skills, team development skills, and the importance of respecting diversity. 

· Interview and Resume Preparation Sessions – These workshops focus on such topics as the role and importance of the “second interview,” the importance of body language and eye contact, and how to compose a resume that reflects one’s special talents. 

Placement Activities 

These activities are developed by volunteer student teams to ensure that students are active participants in constructing programs that will help shape their future. The objective is to develop effective relationships between corporate representatives and students. 

· Speakers’ Bureau Activities – These are two-hour, video-taped sessions designed to provide mutual marketing opportunities for companies and students. In the first hour, company representatives speak to students about career opportunities at their respective companies. The second hour is a question and answer period, followed by an informal meeting with the company representatives. 

· Information Sessions – Representatives from companies visit the School during the week in order to provide information and interact with interested students. 

· Interview Sessions – Interested employers visit the School to conduct interviews for students seeking permanent jobs and internships in both the Fall and Spring Semesters. Students are required to register with the Center, to submit resumes, and to attend a required number of sessions and workshops before interviewing with a company. 

The Small Business Development Center 

The Howard University Small Business Development Center (HUSBDC), housed in the School of Business, is headquarters for the SBDC Network of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. The purpose of the SBDC program, which is co-sponsored nationally by major educational institutions and the United States Small Business Administration, is to utilize the multidisciplinary resources of universities in conjunction with the federal and local governments, as well as the private sector, to assist small businesses through a variety of programs. 

The HUSBDC provides management counseling and training assistance to small business owners and prospective owners through a wide range of public and private sources as well as professional staff. Its workshop seminars include the Business Development Certificate Program and International Trade Management Training. 

The HUSBDC also sponsors an annual Salute to Blacks in Business conference that features seminars, a student employment business trade fair, and an awards dinner to honor successful African-American entrepreneurs. The Salute also features a student business plan contest and awards to student entrepreneurs. 

The HUSBDC directly participates in enhancing the learning process by allowing students to resolve actual problems encountered by small businesses. Students are assigned cases that are relevant to their particular discipline. The HUSBDC also serves as an advisor to the Howard University Entrepreneurial Society.