After graduating from K-State with a master’s degree in exercise physiology, Kyle Miles was more than prepared to enter the workforce. He had good experience—in addition to working as a graduate teaching assistant within the kinesiology department, Miles worked as a graduate intern within the K-State Athletics fan experience and sales department and was also a member of various organizations such as Phi Kappa Phi, Rotaract Club and Golden Key Honor Society—he just wasn’t sure where to start.
So Miles turned to Angela Hayes, assistant director of alumni and graduate career services, for assistance.
K-State Alumni Career Services was created in 2007 as a partnership between the Alumni Association and K-State Career and Employment Services. Alumni have access to a broad range of free and fee-based services, including resume critiques, job search assistance, mock interviews and various online resources, based on their particular concerns and needs.
“[Kyle] initially had a very specific focus that had broad implications,” said Hayes. “He wanted to consider careers outside of his major, but wasn’t sure how to begin.”
During their initial meeting, the pair identified companies that were of interest to Miles and determined what positions within those companies would be the best fit for his career aspirations. They then revised Miles’ resume to make sure it satisfied the general requirements for most employers and highlighted the specific transferable skills that would make Miles stand out. From there, the pair communicated via email and brief meetings to discuss additional resources and to prepare for interview questions.
“I thoroughly enjoyed working with Angela,” said Miles. “She helped me a great deal in guiding me through the process and taught me valuable skills during our brief interactions. I can’t say enough about how invested Angela was in my job search and she genuinely cared about the outcome.”
Miles was quickly offered a position at the company that was his top choice. He currently works as a consultant for Cerner Corporation in Kansas City where he focuses on readying all Cerner clients to attest for government mandated healthcare initiatives and ensuring that new functionality is truly meaningful for Cerner’s client base. While Miles’ current position does not require his research and clinical experiences, it does draw on many of the transferable skills he acquired as a graduate student.
For students who wish to seek industry employment, Miles suggest spending time each week to learn and develop professionally and personally in addition to seeking mentors on and off campus who can assist during the transition out of university life.
“Most importantly,” said Miles, “don’t be hesitant to connect with CES!”