|
As a student, the college experience generally focuses on what courses to take and which extra curricular activities to become involved with throughout your college years.
There is one important aspect of college life that should not be overlooked however, and that is planning your future career goals. Career planning can never start too early, and can begin anytime, even before your freshman year!
Clarion University’s Center for Career and Professional Development provides students and alumni with many tools for developing your personal brand, and making that brand work for you as you start to build and manage your career options.
“Our mission is to provide students the skills necessary to have success in life, and to achieve their career goals by sharing with them the many resources that are available throughout their four years at Clarion and beyond,” says William Bailey, director of the Center for Career and Professional Development at Clarion University.
Located in 419 Becht Hall, the Center for Career and Professional Development serves as a clearinghouse for information and strategies for choosing a major and/or career, developing and maintaining a resume, finding and getting internships and employment, identifying and preparing for upcoming career/job fairs, recruiting events and campus interviews to name just a few.
Career Center staff are available to help, and students are encouraged to take advantage of their knowledge and expertise both in person and online. The center is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with services available anytime online.
Clarion has embraced new and innovative ways to provide services including the Career Connections website that connects students and alumni to over 4,000 recruiting organizations, from employers and internship providers, to graduate programs and study abroad, to the military and service agencies.
After completing an account profile, users can search for full- and part-time employment, internships, assistantships and fellowships; research careers and employers; learn about live and virtual events such as career fairs, information sessions and workshops; submit resumes electronically; participate in live and virtual campus recruiting interviews; build an online career portfolio; and more.
CU Mentor is a pilot program with the College of Business Administration and Information Sciences designed to link current Clarion University students with alumni and employers to encourage mentoring partnerships that share knowledge and experience, and facilitate career exploration and coaching.
The CU Mentor program has a dual role of assisting students on their path to the future, and also gives mentors the satisfaction of giving back to the university community and being able to guide students toward a bright and successful career.
Enhancements to existing programs including Professional Development Day, the online Professional Development Series, four-year Career Development Plans, and the expansion of career liaisons designated for each school and college, as well as the introduction of two new services, digital badging and Focus 2 Career assessments, make Clarion University a leader in career and professional development.
Focus 2 provides both enrolled and prospective high school students who are undecided about their major with a means to explore career options. The Center holds admissions visitation days for prospective exploratory (undecided) students and their families, giving the students an opportunity to complete a Focus 2 admissions assessment, and receive assistance with interpreting the results. Any student also has the option of taking the Focus 2 admissions remotely and contacting staff to discuss their results.
|
Bailey continues, “My staff and I have found that incorporating career development activities into classroom or group meetings is a best practice approach for achieving the highest impact on career outcomes. We realize that there is nothing like face-to-face interaction when working with students, but all services offered by the Center for Career and Professional Development can be accessed online, virtually.”
For more information about how you can plan your future, or to schedule a classroom or group presentation, visit the Center for Career and Professional Development in Becht Hall, online at www.clarion.edu/career, or call 814-393-2323 (ext. 2323 from CU).
Remember, where you go in life is up to you!