Travis Raynaud is the Career Counselor for the Orfalea College of Business. You may have seen him presenting in your class, doing a workshop in your club, or maybe you’ve even met with him one-on-one. We caught up with Travis to share some advice for our OCOB students!

Tell us a little about yourself!

I'm a SLO'cal and love being able to live close to my family and friends. I did both my undergraduate and master's degree here at Cal Poly. I was a transfer student, so when I arrived many many years ago, I felt lost and unsure of how to succeed. During my senior year I decided to get more involved, and through this I met some amazing students, faculty, and staff who helped introduce me to a career in higher education teaching and counseling.

What is the biggest mistake you see OCOB students make when it comes to navigating their careers?

The biggest mistake I see our OCOB students make is not taking advantage of the amazing leadership opportunities both in our OCOB-affiliated clubs, and other clubs and orgs. on campus. We have phenomenal employers and alumni that often visit these clubs, and when you're not in that room to hear their advice and make that connection, you miss out on the best way to network into an internship or full-time role.

What is one resource you would love to see student use more?

I love that OCOB students see the value of LinkedIn, and I don't diminish all the great things that can come for using LinkedIn for career/internship search and networking. But I wish that more students would use Cal Poly Career Connections. This networking platform is great for connecting with Cal Poly alums who are excited to mentor current students!

How can a student make the most of their time at Cal Poly?

GET INVOLVED! Find a community. It doesn't have to just be within OCOB, our concentration clubs, professional fraternities, cultural orgs, are all incredible, but so are the many leisure, sport, religious, etc. that are run through ASI. These organizations help you expand your network, build skills, and ultimately round out your resume with experiences that employers from every industry are looking for! (hint, Leadership is the number one most common skill across all industries that employers expect to see on a resume).

Anything else you’d like to add?

Final thoughts! Don't wait until your senior year to connect with me. As your OCOB career counselor, I am here to answer help no matter where you are in your career path. That can be as a second year who is undecided about their concentration, and all the way to the graduating senior that wants talk through some competing job offers that may or may not align with their career values. Connect with me on LinkedIn for updates about events and use MustangJOBs/Handshake to schedule an appointment.