The Quest for Meaning

How purpose-driven students are changing the way universities and companies recruit and teach

By Hallie Spencer

What is my vision for the life I want to live? Is what I’m doing worthwhile?

These are the questions Trae Tucker, who will graduate this spring with a degree in business administration, has been asking himself throughout his time at the Bloch School.

For sophomore Raiyon Smith, her vision of her life includes having a luxurious and ethical clothing business.

“It’s important to me to support clothing produced in an environment where people are taken care of well,” she said. “And it’s important to be successful in a career I’ve loved since I was a little girl.”

They aren’t alone: Each has friends with similar goals of having a satisfying, successful career that also gives back. One friend of Smith wants to own a gym that runs on sustainable energy, while another wants to provide recording opportunities for musicians who can’t afford studio time.

The goal is creating a meaningful life and career.

“Most generations want meaning,” said Tess Surprenant, director of the Bloch Career Center. “That’s nothing new, but Gen Z has been the most vocal about it.”

Business schools are taking note. Yale, Harvard, NYU and UC Berkeley, among many others, have been incorporating social impact — a strong value of Gen Z (those born 1995- 2012) — into their course and degree offerings. Several universities have adopted new methods of experiential learning such as gaming and “edutainment,” while business schools like the Bloch School are creating innovative programs like Bloch Launchpad, merging academic classwork with professional development. (Read more about Bloch Launchpad on Page 12.)

Despite these innovations, a sobering question lingers: How can business schools provide value to a new generation of students, savvy to the web and skeptical about the world, who want to create a life that is uniquely meaningful to them?

Wanting a new career ladder

Tucker said watching Gen X (born 1961- 1981) and Millennials (born 1981-1996) pursue the traditional “white-picket fence” lifestyle has shaped his career expectations.

During the Great Recession, Gen Z students saw their friends and family members struggle to find their footing. The tried and true path of graduating college, getting a strong entry-level job and climbing the corporate ladder crumbled amid massive layoffs and lost income and investments.

Some began to wonder if job security and employer loyalty was less dependable now. Why not take control of your future and finances and work for yourself ?

And with the rise of Kickstarter entrepreneurs and Instagram influencers, the ability to make money online now seemed open to anyone with gumption and Wi-Fi. A recent Gallup poll found that 40% of students want to run their own business, with 24% saying they have already started.

“I think what’s unique about our generation is that we want to feel safe, but we are willing to take risks in order to have meaning in our lives,” Tucker said.

This disruption is leaving myriad paths to creating meaning and finding happiness — and a college degree may not be necessary for each path.

According to Forbes, more than 50% of Gen Z would consider joining the workforce instead of going to college. And those who do go are more likely choose a college that can prove student outcomes through strong career networks and job placement rates. Tucker, who also works in the Bloch School Admissions Office, said he hears students say they’re looking to supplement a credentialed degree with internships, extracurriculars, competitions and mentorship opportunities.

If Gen Z is going to college, they want to know they’ll graduate with more than a piece of paper. They are looking to snatch up any advantage while starting their career.

“For college, I’d rather know I’m going to have a meaningful experience than get a full ride,” said Tucker. “And I think a lot of students are coming to that point. It feels like we’re at a fork in the road.”

UMKC sophomore Raiyon Smith in the atrium at Bloch Executive Hall.

How can we cultivate a meaningful experience so business students can thrive in a changing world?

Early access to networks and internships

Colleges are starting to adjust their recruitment tactics and course offerings to meet these emerging realities, emphasizing the importance of student-driven learning and understanding each student’s mission, not just their choice of major. At the Bloch School, this means enhancing current offerings and creating new opportunities to help students cultivate practical skills, personal connections and continuing education experiences.

“We’re really trying to focus on assessing each student and what they want out of their college experience, career and life,” said Scott Ezzell, manager of undergraduate admissions and recruiting. “What interests do they have? How involved do they want to be? What parts of UMKC will be valuable in helping meet their needs?”

A “Shark Tank” experience in a marketing class was exactly what Smith needed to make her dream of creating her own fashion company a reality.

“It was a great experience because it was a taste of what the real world would be like,” said Smith, who came to Bloch with a childhood dream and the beginnings of experience in the fashion industry. “Through this project, my professor recognized my passion and drive and helped me connect with fashion and clothing professionals in Kansas City to help me get started. It really meant a lot.”

Even for those who are pursuing a nonlinear approach — taking a gap year, establishing a nonprofit or NGO or starting their own business — Ezzell says there’s still a lot to be gained from the college experience.

“The value I promote is that an education will help you avoid the common pitfalls and help you learn from other people’s experiences,” he said. “We’ve got a great network of mentors for students — and it’s a really valuable opportunity to hear directly from them about their successes and failures. Only someone who’s actually gone through it can provide that valuable advice.”

Historically, one of the biggest selling points of the Bloch School has been its alumni network — which is now more than 10,000 strong. With getting a job more focused on connections and networking, Bloch’s relationship with alumni is even more strategic to student success.

Instead of waiting until senior year, students take advantage of Bloch School connections as soon as they’re admitted. Some have even worked with the Career Center to get internships prior to the beginning of their freshman year.

Bloch clubs like Enactus and the Association of Latin American Professionals for America are putting professional development at the forefront. Undergraduate and graduate students with a business idea can enroll in Entrepreneurship Scholars (E-Scholars), while getting their B.B.A. or graduate degree.

And for the first time, the Regnier Venture Creation Challenge will be open to high school students in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska.

Tucker says learning how to network in a bustling city is exactly the type of experiential learning students want and need to help them find their niche. He and his friends have made great connections with Kansas City business leaders.

“As we approach graduation, we’ve been contacted by mentors in Kansas City who want us to stay here — they want the talent to stay in K.C.,” Tucker said.

More than your typical classroom

Recently, the Bloch School re-evaluated its curriculum to provide early exposure to different areas of business and redefining emphasis areas to streamline degrees and create clearer paths to possible careers. (Read more about changes to the B.B.A. degree on Page 5.)

Within the last couple years, several of those decisions have revolved around the wants and needs of Gen Z and the employers who are looking to recruit Bloch grads. More classes have turned their focus to group projects and practical case studies, often offering consultant work to local businesses.

Associate Dean Sidne Ward teaches a course about making business decisions regarding technology tools. Students work in groups and meet with local small businesses to help them research how to best leverage technology to meet their business goals.

It’s exactly the real-life, hands-on experience students want.

“I think a lot of our alumni would be surprised at the amount of experience students are getting,” she said. “The classroom is completely different — very few are just lecturebased and a lot more are project-based.”

In fact, the overall Bloch curriculum has shifted to place more of an emphasis on analytical skills. With the wealth of customer data available now, companies are eager to leverage those skills to grow their business. And students are seeing the value of the new analytics focus.

“Students are more engaged when they can see how to apply their skills and see the visualization of data. It can be really powerful for people,” Ward said. “Employers are demanding it because many current employees lack training in that type of analysis, and they’re not comfortable diving in. Our classes on analytics give a real advantage to our students.”

Creating meaning through authentic connectivity

Gen Z employees want flexibility and access to leadership, something many large companies are working to incorporate into their current internship programs.

“Employers are currently in a wooing period,” Surprenant said. “With low unemployment rates, businesses are working harder to recruit our students.”

In what may seem a paradox, growing up as digital natives means many in Gen Z also have a skepticism of technology. Surprenant said employers who are overly relying on technology and automation will lose out to other companies who provide authentic connections.

“H&R Block interns actually get a roundtable with the CEO,” she said. “Our students got to ask questions and felt like they were listened to — it’s great that they have access to this within a 10-week internship program. And companies that provide access to leadership do well in recruiting.”

For many Bloch students, their experiences in classes and internships give them an advantage in the job market. Companies are hiring for fit, but students who have learned more about themselves through meaningful experiences are also choosing employers based on fit from the student’s perspective.

“They want to know, does a company have a personal connection to their people, similar values and believe in the work they do?” Surprenant said. “Ultimately, I think the decisions often come down to the people you’ll be with every day.”

To best prepare its students for their careers, the Bloch School continues to create opportunities, whether that’s with companies coming into classes with live case studies and consulting needs or tapping into its network to connect students to internship experiences.

At the end of a college experience, students who ask the big questions about meaning are the ones to provide their own answers. “Bloch taught me that if you want something, they have the resources to help, but at the end of the day you are the one who has to go out and get it,” Tucker said. “They’ve given me the knowledge to stand out in a meeting, of how to set myself apart from others when competing for internships. I have the tools and education to get what I want.” we’d be in a sad state without both.”

HOW TO FIND MEANING IN YOUR WORK

Finding meaning in your work is all about your viewpoint and personal values, said Tess Surprenant. If you, or a student you are working with, are struggling to connect your work to the bigger picture, here are some questions you can ask: ƒ How are my company’s products being used?

ƒ How are people’s lives different because of the work the company does? ƒ

How does this tie into the big picture — like our economy?

ƒ How does it help entrepreneurs or fuel commerce? ƒ

How does it provide or sustain the livelihood of families?

“It doesn’t have to solve world peace, but you are helping someone boost their confidence, directly or by providing a product or service, then you are helping them be successful,” Surprenant said. “People’s values aren’t the same. Some are passionate about investment banking, others entrepreneurship, and we’d be in a sad state without both.”