Photo by: Will Gentry
As graduation approaches, many Oklahoma Christian University students set their sights on long-term employment opportunities – and seem to be finding them in the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area.
Companies such as PayCom and Hobby Lobby offer many job opportunities to Oklahoma Christian graduates.
“A college campus is a lot like a big airport,” Director of Career Services Mark Chan said. “There’s people coming in, people taking off, people who know where they’re going, and then there’s those people that are still looking up at the board trying to figure out what they’re doing.”
According to Chan, only 30 percent of the workforce in the United States is actively engaged in their respective workplace.
“A lot of the success that OC and its graduates are having now is because of those who have gone before us and have paved the way,” Chan said.
In what Chan described as a 60/40 relationship in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, companies such as PayCom and Hobby Lobby actively seek Oklahoma Christian graduates.
“I like to be a connector and to make introductions that lead to those experiences,” Chan said.
Recent graduates Jenna Rice and Robert Ulrich hold leadership positions in their respective companies.
“Being a leader is a very important characteristic, especially for my position, because I have to get up and lead a group and teach them,” Rice said. “I was able to have those leadership opportunities [at Oklahoma Christian] when I was president of Theta.”
Currently employed with PayCom as a corporate trainer, Rice is set apart from others in her workplace because of the skill set she possesses.
“Any employer is looking for someone who is a hard worker,” Rice said. “I know Oklahoma Christian really pushes that a lot.”
In a largely secular corporate world, being a Christian can be challenging.
“In any situation, if you can act the way that you should as a Christian and act godly, that’s going to rub off on people,” Rice said.
Businesses like PayCom and Hobby Lobby have taken notice of the role religion plays in the work ethic of Oklahoma Christian graduates.
“There are good people everywhere, but I definitely think that faith plays into having good moral fiber in the workplace,” Chan said. “I believe that OC is a good place; it’s not perfect, but overall, it’s a good place with good people that care and are willing to go the extra mile.”
Ulrich, a spring 2013 alumnus, has used his education from Oklahoma Christian working for a company with religious roots – Hobby Lobby.
“Fortunately, Hobby Lobby is a faith-based company that sticks to their morals,” Ulrich said. “Graphic design as a career choice is a liberal one. … With Hobby Lobby, I have an opportunity to fuse what I love to do and Christ together. … It makes waking up in the morning a lot easier.”
With dedication and hard work, Ulrich was promoted after only six months at Hobby Lobby’s corporate branch.
“I started in May of 2013 as a entry level graphic designer,” Ulrich said. “I was approached in November to become an assistant on my current team I am on. Now, I assist in critiquing our designers projects and art directors in any way I can. Each of them is responsible for a certain department within Hobby Lobby corporate and it is my responsibility to know all three departments, so if there was a project they needed me on I can do it without errors.”
The difference between academia and application makes itself apparent in the corporate world.
“When you’re doing something on an academic level, it’s a lot about how things are done and the specifics of what you’re doing,” senior Timothy Sikes said. “You’re learning the ideas behind the tools in academics, whereas you’re using those tools in business.”
Through application of the skills acquired at Oklahoma Christian, graduates have a lot of potential for finding employment.
“Life is funny and we all have our own unique path,” Chan said. “I rest in the fact that we all get there eventually.”
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