When new students arrive on campus, one of the biggest goals they have is to tailor their time and lead them on successful career paths. The Career Center, as opposed to most places on campus, is very helpful in getting you on that path.

The Career Center is a part of Student Affairs, and it exists to serve every University student at any level in his or her professional development. The center’s mission concentrates on providing services and specialized resources to advise students on a range of subjects. It provides services to help students evaluate options for a major or career. It also helps them prepare for jobs and even postgraduate education.

To aid the major decision process, students can access one-on-one counseling from professionals at the center.

The counselors are there to assess the student’s strengths and his or her interests to ultimately pick a major or a career that would be a great fit for them. Students can meet with the same professional over a number of 30-minute sessions to help them work through this process and figure out what works best.

The Career Center’s preparation for jobs includes editing resumes, teaching interview etiquette and providing advice from professionals in different fields. The center provides a career management system called I-Link. Housed in the resource center, students can use I-Link to search for job and internship opportunities.

The center also hosts workshops where students can receive feedback for their resumes and cover letters. Any student who wishes to receive help can show up with a resume and cover letter and sign up for a 15-minute session with a trained student reviewer.

Beyond the application process, students can go in for a mock interview where they will be put through a rigorous screening as though it was a real interview. Students can then receive feedback and become better interviewees for a real situation. 

This service is available for a wide range of students — first-year students, graduate students and even alumni — to “tweak” their interview skills and keep up with the current professional trends.

The Career Center’s influence doesn’t just stop there. They host workshops and career fairs directed at students. During its various workshops throughout the year, specific careers or majors are addressed and students can get advice from professionals that are adjacent to or currently in those fields. The career fairs host a range of professions where students can apply for internships and jobs with real companies. The Career Center ultimately brings the jobs to you, and the only requirement is that you show up to the place on campus and participate.

The University has a big international student contingent and to alleviate the stress of the transition, the Career Center hosts special events for international students. Similarly, the center works with various organizations on campus to cater the specific needs of minority students. It also hosts workshops in conjunction with those organizations to bring professionals in and advise minority students on how to navigate through the professional world.

Lanre can be reached at [email protected].