Students struggling to plan their future career path may find the University Business Association’s event, Exploring Business Careers, helpful.

This event will be held in Rodeheaver Auditorium on Monday at 6 p.m.

The UBA will bring in several professionals in various areas of the workforce to talk about their firsthand experience in the business world for this event.

Exploring Business Careers is the first of several events that the UBA will host this semester.

The UBA’s official mission statement says they are “Dedicated to socially and intellectually equipping our student body for their next step in the business world.”

Grace Fryml, a senior accounting major, was president of the UBA last year and returned to the position this year.

Fryml said, “[It is] a student-led organization designed to build you as a professional.”

Although the association’s membership is restricted to members of the School of Business, UBA events are open to all BJU students.

Fryml said the UBA tries to keep all of its dedicated members involved. Fryml said, “If you want to be involved, we will give you a job to do.”

According to Fryml, one of the UBA’s primary goals is to help students build their networking skills.

She said, “Not only do you get connected to professionals out in the workforce, but we are dedicated to connecting current students to each other.”

The association values peer-to-peer relations and encourages students to interact with each other, trading advice and sharing experiences.

UBA-sponsored events will culminate next semester with the Career Fair Prep Night.

The Career Fair, hosted by Career Services, is intended to present students with several potential job opportunities, and, according to Fryml, the UBA encourages students to use this platform to help them secure career opportunities for the future.

This goal is accomplished particularly through the Career Fair Preparation event, which is specifically intended to help students know how to maximize their opportunities at the career fair.

Fryml said, “We want to teach [students] everything they need to know to walk up to that booth in the Career Fair and get a job.”

Dr. James Brammer, a faculty member in the School of Business and sponsor of the UBA, said the association may be a valuable tool for students attempting to discern how to  use their major in the future.

“A lot of these (early-year) students don’t have a sense yet of exactly what they want to do with their degree once they have it,” he said. “Membership in a cocurricular organization provides an opportunity to see more things.”

Brammer also said students shouldn’t rule out student organizations like the UBA because of time concerns without proper consideration.

He said, “Time is the most precious resource that students have, and so they are sometimes too quick to bypass these opportunities because they feel the pressure of time.”

Students interested in joining the UBA can contact Grace Fryml by emailing her at [email protected].