Part of the Village

There is a well-known cliché that “it takes a village” to raise a child, but it also takes a village to groom a college student into a confident professional.

And while the university environment alone does much to foster independence and academic understanding, a key piece in student success after graduation is professionalism. Industry partners, like that of Enterprise Holdings, play a crucial role in that success.

The partnership between Enterprise Holdings and Bloomsburg University may be several decades old, but has strengthened in recent years, according

to Elizabeth Brindley, Talent Acquisition Specialist for Enterprise Holdings. She stresses that the goal for Enterprise isn’t just to recruit grads to the company, but rather to live up to the company’s founding values and become involved in university programs that promote professionalism.

“There is a lot of opportunity to partner,” explained Brindley. “We want to be in places that match our values and encourage their students to things that are important to them. B.U. checks all the boxes.”

By “boxes,” Brindley is referring to the ways B.U. weaves career experiences and professional development into the student experience; from the first day they set foot on campus to the day, they leave as alumni. The initiative is called Professional U and gives B.U. grads a unique ability to succeed in the “promote from within” environment that Enterprise offers. That type of dedication to employee development has made the company an attractive option to B.U. grads. In fact, Enterprise Holdings has hired thirteen full-time B.U. grads and five interns in the past three years alone in various roles across the company.

“Everyone learns how to be successful from the ground up,” said Brindley. “B.U. students are very well prepared, and we see them continually be top performers. When we talk with them at campus events, they are ambitious. They have lofty goals, and that matches our ‘promote from within’ mentality.”

Professional U events, such as the Career Intensive Boot Camp and ZIPD Conference, as well as Career Connections Expos and campus workshops, offer students the chance to connect with industry professionals like Brindley. She notes that the students who seize the opportunities become easily recognizable to recruiters.

“I tend to see a lot of the same students throughout the school year, and I get to know them,” explained Brindley. “That tells me they see the value and take it seriously, and they know that hard work is required. B.U. students know that it’s important to be there, which sets them apart .”

These events, however, require the investment of partners like Enterprise to be successful. Brindley regularly volunteers at several Professional U events where she can impart her knowledge and experience to help guide students on their path to becoming a professional.

“When I’m able to give my knowledge and best practices of the industry, then we can be a true business partner,” said Brindley. “These events are a great opportunity to connect with students and impart some knowledge that they’ll be able to take on their career search. It’s important to give back, both personally and on behalf of Enterprise.”

“It’s about the people doing business with us and if you do right by those people you will be successful,” added Brindley “For our employees, it means providing training and development to further their career, for students it’s about providing ways to apply what they learn in the classroom. B.U. is a great business partner all the way around.”