Boots to Suits Program Experience
Boots to Suits connects students with community professionals who provide career-focused mentorship, industry insight, and guidance as students prepare to enter the workforce. Through a series of structured meetings, participants build professional skills, expand their networks, and gain a better understanding of career opportunities in their chosen fields.
What to Expect
Mentees progress through six career-development meetings, including meetings with their professional mentor and a career coach at the T. Rowe Price Career and Innovation Center at UCCS. Mentor meetings are designed to last approximately one hour and are scheduled directly between the mentor and mentee. Students should allot a minimum of six weeks to complete this program.
The Boots to Suits Journey
Meet your mentor, learn about their professional background, and begin exploring the transition from military experience and higher education into a civilian career.
Meet with a career coach at the T. Rowe Price Career and Innovation Center at UCCS to strengthen your résumé and cover letter, develop interviewing skills, prepare an elevator pitch, and learn how to use LinkedIn effectively.
Reconnect with your mentor to discuss current and future industry trends, career expectations, salary considerations, and certifications or training that can make you more competitive. You'll also have an opportunity to receive feedback on your updated résumé and cover letter and discuss building your professional presence on LinkedIn.
Learn how to identify networking opportunities, approach professionals and organizations, and pursue internships and employment opportunities within your career field.
Work with your mentor to identify civilian companies and government organizations related to your career goals. Learn strategies for researching employers, locating opportunities, and approaching organizations about jobs and internships.
Complete a final review of your résumé and cover letter, learn more about your mentor's organization, and practice demonstrating what you know about a prospective employer and the value you could bring to an organization.
Complete the Program. Step Into Your Career.
After completing the required meetings, mentees submit their completed program materials, updated résumé, and cover letter and participate in an exit interview.
Program participants who successfully complete the requirements are then provided with a $500 gift card to purchase professional attire, helping them take the next step into interviews, networking events, internships, and employment with confidence.