BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- For most student-athletes, being a part of a team is a major part of their collegiate careers. But as several Cal State Bakersfield Roarunners found at a recent Resume Building presentation, once they graduate, they will embark on a solo career.

More than 40 CSUB student-athletes attended a two-hour presentation late this Spring, organized by life skills and "Runner Ready Program coordinator Ronald "Doc" Waller.

Traco Matthews headed up the lively event designed to help the athletes put together the best resume possible, focusing on building their own individual brands, understanding who they are and what drives their success, which are foundational steps for building a powerful resume. Matthews is currently the Chief Health Equity Officer at Kern Health Systems and has over 20 years of experience in the Kern County business scene.

"It prepared me for what's coming next," said Karissa Munsy, a senior softball player, who will graduate with a business degree this week. "I'm going to have to start applying for jobs, applying for grad schools, putting together resumes and knowing what skills to learn and what to put out there to make me the best candidate possible for whatever comes next. My goal is to be an MRI tech so I'm planning to go to x-ray school."

Some of the key lessons Matthews emphasized at the event centered on the students understanding that their value to society transcends their educational life and achievements, and it is important to know who you are and what drives you before you randomly start looking for career opportunities. Authenticity matters to recruiters and it should matter to you.

Another key point was achieving a balance of hard skills, such as technical proficiency, and soft skills, which include things like problem solving, innovation, troubleshooting and time management, which might be even more important to prospective employers.

"I think the whole thing overall was really helpful for me because I'm also an international student so I don't really know about the resumes here in the U.S." said Yigit Saglam, a senior swimmer from Turkey, who will graduate with a liberal arts degree this weekend.

Saglam hopes to pursue a career in botanical design, which involves the creative use of multiple parts of plants of one family or genus.

"I had kind of a general idea in my head, but the slides and everything and the way he explained it, I have a much more precise idea," Saglam said. "I know exactly what stuff I need to put in my resume."