UNCF Student Professional Development Programs (SPDP) Early Talent Opportunity Day

Committed to eliminating barriers to college access and completion for minority students, UNCF Student Professional Development Programs (SPDP) offers a host of programs and initiatives that aim to increase the number and success of minority college graduates.

The goals of these programs include:

• Preparing students to navigate from college to early-stage careers
• Exposing students to industry-sector career opportunities through summer and semester training opportunities at selected organizations
• Reducing financial barriers to undergraduate degrees and early career advancement
• Helping industry sectors build a diverse workforce by helping to identify and prepare high-achieving, well-qualified diverse college student candidates

Coaching For Success

UNCF offers career readiness and coaching to more than 100 minority students who participate in UNCF-sponsored student professional development programs. These programs are structured to provide paid summer and semester internships to expose students attending UNCF-member institutions and other colleges and universities to career paths and opportunities.

Students receive one-on-one career coaching and access to relevant career-readiness and leadership development resources and curriculum that help them:

• Enhance critical thinking skills
• Develop stronger project management abilities
• Improve verbal and written communication
• Sharpen workplace productivity
• Hone quality workplace readiness and etiquette
• Gain a greater understanding of their leadership style
• Improve networking skills and interviewing techniques

In addition to our 11 company/program partners, scholars interested in securing an internship for the 2022-2023 school year or 2023 summer are invited to attend. Please see the list of participating companies/programs below:

• Anheuser-Busch
• Bath & Body Works
• Best Buy
• Bimbo Bakeries USA
• Lincoln Financial Group
• Medline
• Old Dominion Freight Company
• Oracle
• The Walt Disney Company
• UNCF K-12 Education Fellowship Program
• Volkswagen

All applications can be found inside the booths of the participating companies as well as on the UNCF website: https://scholarships.uncf.org/. Please note if a company has not opened their application yet, please fill out the UNCF Early Talent General Application Form.

Yes, all presentations will be available for viewing on the platform for up to 3 months after the event. Access to the platform is only available to those who register to attend.

Please note that all virtual booths have a chat feature for you to ask questions and interact with company recruiters. While chatting with company representatives, you may be requested to chat via video call. Additionally, we are also providing an hour of networking over lunch both days in which you will be paired with a company representative or a fellow perspective intern in a “virtual speed dating” style event. As both activities require your on-camera presence, we request that you dress in business casual attire.

Business Casual Attire Examples:

• Men:
  • Conservative sports coat in a dark color (no prints or plaids)
  • Pressed khakis are appropriate
  • Long-sleeved shirts are more professional than short-sleeves – even in business casual settings.
• Women:
  • A blazer with blouse and pants.
  • A sweater set with dress pants may also be appropriate. For women, khaki pants are generally too casual. It’s best to wear black, navy, grey, or brown.

Yes, all perspective interns that register to attend the Early Talent Opportunity Days will receive a DoorDash gift card to utilize for lunch on both Wednesday and Thursday. If you have issues with your DoorDash gift card, please contact (PENDING).

Yes, during the Early Talent Opportunity Days there will be three primary ways to network:

• Smart Matching: Each day during the lunch hour we will provide an open speed networking session through the Smart Matching tab in the platform. What makes Smart Matchmaking “Smart” is how you are sure to connect with users with the same bent of mind as yours. How are you going to know if your match is relatable to you? It’s simple! With a questionnaire probing your likes, choices, and interests, and smartly matching your responses from the pool of users to find you your closest match. Ice breakers make sure you are comfortable with your match, letting you relax during the matchmaking session. And if you wish to move beyond the matchmaking session, you have the option to share contact information via contact cards, so future correspondence is possible.

Social Media: Connect with our social media platforms and share with your network that you will be attending the UNCF Early Talent Opportunity Days by sharing the flyer attached below or any other screenshots/photobooth photos you gather throughout the day. Don’t forget to use our event hashtags: #UNCFEarlyTalentOpportunityDays #UNCFETOD and tag @uncfspdp & @uncf (Instagram) and UNCF Student Professional Development Programs (LinkedIn).

Please review the following documents to help aid in developing a strong resume. After reviewing the documents, feel free to watch this Resume 101 session to help fine tune your resume and hear answers to common resume questions:

•  SPDP (Student Professional Development Programs) Resume Template
•  Resume/Cover Letter Checklist
• Watch: 2022 Insider’s Guide to Resume Writing

For any additional questions, please contact studentprofessionaldevelopmentgroup@uncf.org. Thank you!