BETHANY, WV -- The course, entitled Professional Transitions, is taught by John E. Osborne, Distinguished Lecturer in Economics and Business and Director of Career Counseling and Placement.

“This class is not your traditional college course. We will be focusing on areas not usually covered in other classes,” said Osborne. “The class is designed to introduce students to the professional world he or she is about to enter. We will place a particular emphasis on practical strategies and techniques for success.”

Professional Transitions is being offered through the Department of Economics and Business and will focus on preparing students for life after college. The course is designed to educate students on how to prepare for a job interview, how to write a resume and cover letter and how to negotiate salary and compensation. It will also give students a greater understanding of things such as credit scores, the stock market, investing, insurance, business ethics and legal issues in the work place.

“Our students are fortunate to have an opportunity to be exposed to a former high-powered corporate executive like John Osborne,” said Randolph Cooey, Chair of the Department of Economics and Business. “Mr. Osborne's class affords students the opportunity to observe the logic of his thought processes and his problem solving processes. Students also gain valuable insights into various aspects of corporate cultures.”

Osborne, a ’63 graduate of Bethany College, earned his master’s degree from MIT and an MBA equivalent degree from Stanford University. Osborne has years of professional experience with companies such as Apple Computer, IBM and Standard Oil of California.

His own experience notwithstanding, Osborne has called upon other professionals from the area to speak to the class about their experiences. Matthew Osborne ’95, the Associate Vice President at BB&T has spoken on banking and borrowing; Russell Dunkin, Wealth Advisor at McKinley|Carter, has spoken on investing and the Stock Market; Tom Galinski, former CEO at Ohio Valley Medical Center, has spoken on Life's Lessons Learned as a CEO; Jane Glauser ’72 and Sandy Law ’85, Lawyers at Schrader Byrd & Companion, have spoken on Legal issues; Zachary Abraham, Director of Operations at McKinley|Carter, has spoken on salary and benefits issues; and Judge Patrick Flatley ’76, US Court Bankruptcy Judge, has spoken on credit and bankruptcy.