When she steps into her classroom at the UNLV Harrah College of Hospitality, associate professor in residence Bobbie Barnes brings more than course materials — she brings a philosophy that career readiness begins from day one at UNLV.

“I spent 20 years in industry before I came back to UNLV,” Barnes said. “I know what it takes to be successful in hospitality. It’s more than knowledge and skills — it’s the career readiness that really helps students after graduation.”

This knowledge and experience is what makes Barnes a natural fit for the Rebel Career Champions Network (RCCN), a universitywide initiative that fosters career readiness as a shared goal for all Rebels. As one of the RCCN’s Career Champions, part of her work is to offer guidance to students, elevating their experiences and encouraging successful transitions into careers after leaving UNLV.

Infusing Career Competencies Through Each Stage

Barnes has been part of the RCCN since its inception and currently serves on its steering committee. Teaching students goes beyon integrating them into their major, she said. 

“In the College of Hospitality, we’ve always been career-focused,” she said. “We like to say we’re not preparing students for their first job — we’re preparing them for their third.”

She has collaborated with university partners to develop professional development modules for faculty, crafted curricula that include courses focused on career competencies, and provided opportunities for other classes to introduce career-focused concepts. By scaffolding the approach to career readiness students are exposed to professional development opportunities that grow with them as they progress through their degree.

“Faculty control the curriculum,” Barnes said. “We need to make sure that at all levels, from first-year to senior, we’re infusing career competencies.”

So, what are career competencies? 

For Barnes, they are foundational skills for graduates to thrive in their chosen careers beyond their professional knowledge, like communication, problem solving, emotional intelligence, and professionalism. There are also discipline-specific competencies, like active listening and effective team management, for the hospitality field.

“Faculty and staff in the RCCN will receive training on general competencies as well as how to incorporate them within class content and career discussions with students,” Barnes said.

For Barnes, sometimes the best way to get these career competencies top of mind for students is just to give a little extra push. “If offering a student five points of extra credit to go to a career fair incentivizes them, I’m willing to do that. I think we can continue to do that in any college, whether it’s for a conference or another career event.”

Whether it’s introducing a resume assignment to the curriculum, offering extra credit to attend a career fair, or advising students on extra things they can do outside of their coursework to prepare for a job application, Barnes believes that the Rebel community is responsible for coming together and giving students what they need to align with real-world industry needs.

“I think that old saying, 'It takes a village,' is so true,” she said. “I can’t do what I do in these classes, offer these networking events, offer this extra credit, unless we have support. In Hospitality, we have the Bob Boughner Career Center, and we have the university's Career Services & Workforce Development.

"We really ask our partners in industry to support us, as well. Recently, we had over 30 industry professionals who took time out of their busy schedule to participate in a mock networking event with our students. I think that’s the big piece – we have to work together.”

Helping Rebel Job Seekers Shine

Building career competencies knowing how to communicate them to potential employers is what helps get through the door to their first employer, Barnes said

“When students are building their resumes, the keys to marketing career competencies are to highlight specific contributions. For interview preparation, students must practice how they will connect a core competency to a specific job and company. This ensures students are ready to answer behavioral questions by reflecting on past experiences and demonstrating how learned skills have led to positive results.”

The growth doesn't stop once students have received their first job offer as a proud UNLV alum. Barnes makes sure graduates leave prepared to keep honing their skills and competencies.

"As a wise mentor told me, ‘Your current job is just a really long interview for your next position.'"

Empowering Faculty to Embed Career Competencies

As an RCCN champion, Barnes helps her colleagues find practical ways to infuse career readiness into their work. Her goal is to make career development feel natural rather than separate from the curriculum.

“Sometimes you need the ‘why,’ which is what you hope to have after graduation. It’s not just walking across that stage,” she said. “Students come to college because they want a better job than they could have had without a degree. That’s the mission is to make sure we’re not only training in our discipline but that we’re providing those resources so that they have that job upon graduation.”

The message Barnes has for her peers is simple: Every day on and off campus offers an opportunity to prepare students for their futures.

“I want people to get excited. This is such a good initiative, and I want all colleges to feel like they have a place in it,” she said. “It might look different in each discipline, but we can all find ways to make it meaningful.”