Meet Sally.  Sally began college with a major her parents chose for her and struggled with many of her classes because they were not of interest to her.  Much to her parents’ dismay, she changed her major twice and spent nearly two extra years in college.  During her time in college, she worked part-time as a cashier at the local discount store, making slightly better than minimum wage.  She didn’t pay much attention to events and activities outside of those that her friends were attending.  She blew off Career Services because it was a place she thought people only use as a “last resort.”  After all, everyone kept telling her a Bachelor’s degree was the key to landing a “good job.”

 After Sally graduated, she remained at the discount store while surfing the Internet for a job for half an hour per week.  Sally finally came to Career Services to discuss her future goals and began to go after the career she REALLY wanted.

The facts:

Only half of all Americans are satisfied with their occupations.

According to a Brainstorm Consulting survey from 2004, over half of all students surveyed had used the Career Services Office once or not at all.  This is not enough!

Career Services can help you make sense of your options, and then assist you in gaining the skills and confidence to make your decision a reality. 

There IS life after college; start now

Why should you try career counseling?

Myth or fact:  Career counseling is only for people who have not decided on a major.

This is definitely a myth.  We see many students and alumni who have already decided on a major, but are unsure how they want to use their degrees in the future.  Check out What can I do with my Penn State Altoona major? Or try these: America’s Career InfoNet, Occupational Outlook Handbook

When meeting for career counseling, we speak with you and determine your interests, abilities, values, and other goals.  Sometimes, an assessment is used to assist us in determining these factors.  We can then guide you toward resources, including those in our Career Resource Library, to provide you with information about potential paths you may want to consider.

You may want to try shadowing, where you can observe a professional in your field for a day.  Or maybe you’d enjoy talking with alumni on LIONLINK about what they do and how they got where they are today.  Or, you might like doing some initial research about what careers are available out there in the “real world.”

Another thing that can help you is to gain experience in various areas.  This is important whether you are staying at Penn State Altoona for four years or transferring to University Part because you can make valuable connections and gain incredible experience that may benefit you in the future.  Try getting involved with student activities, volunteer work, summer relevant work experience, internships, or research projects.  These can help you build a network of faculty, staff, peers, employers, and others, which will help you later in your job search.

While we can help you to develop career plans, we will not make a decision for you or tell you what to do with your career.  This is entirely your decision, and it may take a great deal of time and effort to decide. It will be worth it in the future, though, if you avoid changing majors multiple times or returning to school later, both of which can be costly.

Do you need help with your job search?

Myth or fact: An Internet job search is the best way to go, with today’s technology.

Well, this is another myth.  Many people look for summer work, part-time or full-time work on the Internet.  Unfortunately, this should not be your only method because a huge number of job openings are not advertised and are not on the Internet.

Here’s another task we can help simplify: your job search.  We can help you identify the best job search methods for YOU.  We have resources and can point you in the right direction for how to get started on your job search, whether it’s a summer job, a part-time job while you’re in school, or a full-time job upon graduation.

Other things to think about for a successful job search:               

Do you know how to network?  Start your networking now, with employers, faculty, friends, family and anyone you know.  More specifically, if you are transferring to University Park, don't wait to build relationships with faculty because the smaller class sizes here at Penn State Altoona will allow your professors to know you better and possibly provide excellent references.  We’ve already mentioned some options above for getting involved on and off campus, and you may also want to try getting involved more with the location where you hope to settle after graduation.

Do you have a resume yet?  You should!  Start as soon as you can, even if you think you don’t have anything to write down on paper.  It will help you figure out what skills you are lacking and need to obtain through experience.  If you do have a resume, you may want to bring it to us if you haven’t had anyone look at it yet.  We can work with you to tailor a resume to the job posting so you gain the competitive edge and get the interview.

Speaking of interviewing, it’s not always as easy as you may think.  Sharpen your interviewing skills by participating in a mock interview to raise your confidence and unleash your STAR potential.  And don’t forget to follow up with employers by sending a thank you note!

We can also help you with planning your graduate and professional school process.  Access our web site here for upcoming event dates, including graduate fair dates.

We’re here to help YOU!

Don’t wait!  Stop by the Career Services Office in 126 Slep Monday-Friday from 8 AM – 5 PM or call 814-949-5058.

 
Text by:
Dori Kirch, M.S.
Assistant Director, Career Services
Penn State Altoona