Career Center Helps all Students

Students who are unsure about their classes, major or career

path can increase their confidence by seeking guidance at CSU’s

Career Center. The center offers many developmental and recruitment

opportunities to students whether they are nearing graduation or

have a few years left.

Information on individual majors and careers is available to all

students. This includes job listings, career fairs, assessment

tests and resume services.

“We help students figure out a career path based on their

interests,” says Melissa Johnson, a liaison for natural resources.

There are Career Center liaisons for almost every department or

college on campus to assist students, plus an open option

counselor.

These resources are easily accessible on the center’s Web site,

or in person at their campus office in 105 Ammons Hall on the

Oval.

Johnson suggests students make an appointment with one of the

center’s liaisons as soon as they are accepted into the university

or shortly thereafter.

“Early and often is our motto,” she said.

Students can gain so many valuable opportunities and experiences

that are so costly in the real world, Johnson said.

Assessment tests used to direct students’ interests into a major

or career choice can cost up to several hundred dollars, but are

free to students at the center.

Ashley Mickle, a junior health and exercise science major, took

assessment tests as part of a freshman seminar class.

“We basically learned that if we need help we can always come

in,” Mickle said. Visiting the center made it apparent to Mickle

that she was “on the right track.”

These tests, along with the center’s online resources, are the

tools that Johnson uses most to help students who seek guidance.

Liaisons have advice on writing resumes, creating cover letters and

honing interview skills.

Around the end of the fall semester Johnson says that students

are in a “registration panic” and often come to her to seek advice

on declaring a major. Closer to graduation time students will be

more concerned with setting up jobs and internships, she says.

Students who have already decided upon a future can look through

career specific job postings and internships to gain insight.

Employers can even peruse student resumes on the center’s Web site.

Johnson suggests that job planning begin six to nine months before

graduation.

The Career Center also creates opportunities to students who

attend career fairs. Students can speak with employers about a

field they are interested in and get information about various

internships and jobs. All university fairs as well as ones for

focused colleges, such as Media and Communications Career Day or

the Teacher Education Fair, are hosted by the Career Center. The

Spring Career Fair takes place on Feb. 12, next semester.

Junior business marketing major Laurie Dowd said she has never

used the resources at the career center because she has found those

resources elsewhere on campus.

“It’s just not something I’ve found useful yet,” she said. “I’ve

found internships elsewhere but might consider posting my resume

closer to graduation.”

Even students with little free time can learn more about their

major and career direction easily on the Web site. There are resume

writing instructions as well as tips on getting into graduate

school. Employer databases, contacts, job postings and

opportunities to post student resumes are available as well. There

was even an online career fair last year.

With resources like these, the Career Center has many ways to

link students to all the knowledge they need to go places.