How to becomeCareer Ready
S.A.M. can help Walton College students become Career Ready by completing various activities and achieving S.A.M. Badges.
Each activity will consist of one of the 12 Career Readiness Competencies that were identified by employers, advisory boards, alumni, and by N.A.C.E. national
standards as very important attributes.
Follow these three steps to get started:
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Register for S.A.M.
Go to app.suitable.co or download the app on iOS or Android and use your @uark.edu email address.
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Complete the Activities
Upload documents, scan event codes, submit reflections, and complete surveys and assessments to earn badges.
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Display your Badges
Once you have completed a badge, display it on your LinkedIn account.
What are theCore Competencies
Behind the S.A.M. Badges?
Self and Social Awareness
Understand your own abilities, strengths and weaknesses, character traits, including confidence, presence and non-verbal social cues; interpret your audience and environment and recognize you are accountable for your actions.
Communication
Ability to articulate and express individual thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in written and verbal formats including through technology; and capable of communicating your own story.
Global Intellegence
Value, understand, and respect diverse ideas, cultures, individuals, and customers; be an informed citizen about issues that impact people, society and industry; demonstrate the ability to respectfully interact with others.
Innovative Mindset
Ability to work with ambiguity and open-ended tasks; and strength for providing new, creative and innovative ideas.
Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
Exercise sound reasoning to analyze issues, make decisions and address problems; and ability to use knowledge to interpret data and provide solutions.
Tech Readiness
Be proficient in Excel, PowerPoint and other university and Walton College software programs; understand basic analytics and use of data to solve problems, create solutions, complete tasks, and build stories; and ability to adapt to new and emerging technologies.
Planning and Change
Ability to change direction, take initiative, adapt, pivot, learn to fail, persist, prepare, and perform by managing your time, priorities and tasks; be able to accept and receive positive and negative feedback; understand and manage your own academic plan of study.
Career Managment
Obtain student success and career readiness skills, competencies and experiences to be competitive in gaining internships, employment and acceptance in graduate or professional school; take responsibility for identifying your professional growth needs and pursue and participate in opportunities for learning; create your own career related portfolio through use of Suitable, VMock, and Handshake; understand your work environment and career choices.
Leadership
Leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals, understand roles, work in teams, take accountability, and manage your own work; and participate in leadership opportunities internally and externally to Walton and campus.
Community Engagement
Engage in activities, projects and experiences that make direct contributions to the Walton College, University of Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas and the state of Arkansas; understand the value of giving.
Industry, Knowledge and Experience
Understand the trends, workplace tools and current technology expectations for various industries; experience those opportunities by actively engaging in internships.
Majors
Participate in discipline specific professional development, and networking and training events and opportunities.
What are theS.A.M. Badges?
Each badge is made up of components that consist of any combination of the 12 Career Readiness competencies.*
Business Integrity
Career Management 1
Career Management 2
Career Management 3
Community Engagement
Customer Centricity: Power of Observation
Diversity & Inclusion: Awareness
Financial Literacy
Freshmen Business Connections
Global Intelligence 1
Global Intelligence 2
Graduate Career Management
Graduate Let’s Talk: Forced Labor
Graduation Walton
Internship
Let's Talk: Forced Labor
Mental Health
McMillon Design Team
McMillon Project Leader
Oral Communication
Retail Ready
S.A.M. Start
Scavenger Hunt
Self and Social Awareness
Supply Chain Management Thought Leadership
Tech Readiness
Turn 2 into 4
Virtual Communication
Walton Honors
Written Communication
*for detailed requirements please visit Suitable
Get StartedS.A.M. Resources
Video: How to Register for Suitable / S.A.M.
Video: How to Navigate Suitable / S.A.M.
Once logged in you’ll be able to complete activities, check progress, and share with your portfolio on LinkedIn.
Hear it from the sourceStudent Testimonials
"Earning the Business Integrity Badge is important to me because it has allowed me to enter into the business work environment with a better understanding of business ethics, diversity in the workplace, growth in racial topics and conversations, and business integrity in all aspects of the workplace."
— Lauren Granger, on the Business Integrity Badge
Watch Video: Lauren Granger talks about the Business Integrity Career Readiness Badge
"It shows potential employers that you have invested in your personal and professional development outside of the classroom and that your priorities align with theirs."
— Halley Crommett, on the Let’s Talk Badge
professional development programLeadership Walton
Leadership Walton is a professional development program for undergraduate business students, offering a unique blend of academic, leadership and career development opportunities specifically designed to guide students toward lifelong professional success. The program fills the gap between academic pursuits and workforce preparation through an enhancement to standard educational experiences.
Application Process
All undergraduate business majors are encouraged to join, including transfer students,
and must have a minimum of two academic years left to complete the program. All applications
will be considered and selections will be based on the quality and thoughtfulness
of each application. To apply to Leadership Walton, click on the "Apply" button and
fill out the application. In the Summer of 2023 you will recieve an email from Leadership
Walton with next steps to enroll into our Program
Requirements
Leadership Walton students must complete a series of badges surrounding the core competencies. Each member should refer to their specific plan within Suitable.
Questions?
For questions please contact leadwalt@walton.uark.edu.
FAQ's
We accept new applications once per year beginning in June and ending mid-August. All undergraduate business majors, including transfer students, are encouraged to apply. Students must have a minimum of two academic years left to complete the program.
A Leadership Walton participant's overall educational experience will include academic training, experiential educational experiences and professional development enhancements above and beyond that of a non-participant. Some of these value-added enhancements include:
- Exclusive recruitment/networking events specifically for Leadership Walton participants and representatives of recruiting companies, including special networking time dedicated just for Leadership Walton participants in conjunction with the fall Business Career Fair.
- The chance to participate in special programs and events.
- Upon successful completion of Leadership Walton, a graduate of the program will be awarded a cord to wear at commencement and special recognition within the Walton College.
- Most importantly, Leadership Walton members develop the skills and background employers are seeking in new graduates.
Please contact us at leadwalt@walton.uark.edu
