Career Development Resources

The Student-Athlete Development office offers a unique blend of career development opportunities to allow our student-athletes to develop a unique set of skills outside athletics to ensure their professional success after they graduate from Oklahoma State.

Through professional development workshops, networking events, and mentorship programs, student-athletes gain experience in résumé writing, interview preparation and career exploration. OSU Career Services and Athletics have also teamed up to provide an in-house Career Coach, Lerin Lynch, to be a direct resource for student-athletes in their career prep. This comprehensive approach empowers student-athletes to build successful careers beyond their athletic endeavors.

The Student-Athlete Development Office provides:

• 1-on-1 meetings with student-athletes
• Résumé building and development
• Job/internship search support
• Graduate School prep
• Assessments for career exploration

Suiting Up Seniors

Suiting Up Seniors is a career development program for graduating OSU student-athletes covering resume prep, networking opportunities, mock interview scenarios and dining etiquette training. Through this program, student-athletes are able to develop skills that can be used in a professional sports setting, career, graduate school, professional school and life in general.

Up to 50 student-athletes per semester are able to participate in the program to earn a customized business suit through a partnership with a clothier and OSU Athletics. Equipping our student-athletes with a quality suit while also helping them prepare for their futures is another way that the Student-Athlete Leadership and Professional Development office at Oklahoma State is making sure our athletes are ready for life after OSU.

Go Pokes Connect

Go Pokes Connect is our alumni-athlete mentorship program. Current student-athletes are paired with OSU alumni based on professional industry to gain insights and advice for their career and additional opportunities.

OSU is committed to ensuring that all current and former student-athletes have access to resources for starting or advancing their career, as well as one convenient location for reunions and events. The OSU Athlete Network was specifically built to connect current and former student-athletes.

Student-Athletes will have exclusive access to a huge network of OSU alumni, former student-athletes who’ve been in their shoes and are eager to share their experiences to help them through the transition from sports to the professional world. They will get the opportunity to discuss career opportunities in their degree field with alumni currently working in that specific field.

Cowboys 360: Ideal Graduates

• Engaged Citizenship
• Professional Preparedness
• Ethical Leadership
• Personal Responsibility: STAR FUND/Financial Education partnership with Simmons Bank

The Playbook: Career Readiness Plan

Junior

• Register for Athlete Network - Sign up for Go Pokes Connect Mentorship Program
• Participate in Student-Athlete Leadership Groups (SAAC and ACT)
• Meet with Lerin Lynch to complete Career Assessment and Parallel Plan
• Experiential learning (internship, job shadow, study abroad)
• Attend NIL classes and personal branding
• Civic engagement (volunteer community service)
• Career Combine (mock interviews, résumé review, networking event)
• Attend career fair
• Create LinkedIn profile with professional headshot
• Clean up and monitor social media

Senior

• Register for Athlete Network - Sign up for Go Pokes Connect Mentorship Program
• Register for O-Club
• Attend Life Skills/Transition workshop - "Orange Table Talks"
• Job search - start applying for jobs
• Attend career fair
• Outline Parallel Plan with Lerin Lynch
• Participate in Student-Athlete Leadership Groups (SAAC and ACT)
• Experiential learning (internship, job shadow, study abroad)
• Attend NIL classes and personal branding
• Civic engagement (volunteer community service)
• Career Combine (mock interviews, résumé review, networking event)
• Update LinkedIn profile
• Complete graduation survey