“What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a question most students start developing answers to as kids as they play Cops & Robbers in the front yard or turn their bedrooms into makeshift classrooms where they teach their stuffed animals, dolls and friends. But what if you make it to college and are still unsure how to answer that question? Even before being recently appointed interim director of the university’s Center for Career Design in September, Laurie Aiken had helped hundreds of high schoolers beginning college and soon-to-be graduates answer that very question. “It’s important for students to understand that their first job is rarely their last,” she noted. “I emphasize to them that that journey evolves and continues even after choosing or starting a career. They’ll acquire new roles, responsibilities and opportunities along the way. Technology advances, trend shifts and new specialties in career fields represent ways to reinvent themselves and their career goals.” Columbus State University uses a unified career development strategy to help its students and alumni alike chart their professional paths. That strategy underscores that choosing a career field can be a practical decision, an emotional one, and sometimes a combination of the two.
Some students, like Lillian Patterson (pictured), come to Columbus State with a solid idea of their post-graduate career objectives. Hers included a clear goal of earning a business degree, earning her CPA credentials and later adding a master’s degree. However, she needed some guidance on preparing for internships and job interviews. That’s where the Center for Career Design helped. “The Center for Career Design helped give me the confidence I needed to approach my interview with excitement rather than anxiety,” said Patterson, an international business major who is minoring in accounting and Spanish. “I knew going [into that process] that I had a resume I felt proud of, as well as the foundations needed to explain myself and my goals related to the position I applied for.” By working with the center’s team, Patterson gained that confidence—and secured an internship. “During my internship, I will be learning more about the auditing process and getting hands-on experience interacting with clients and learning accounting software,” she said. “It will be a valuable learning experience that will give me a better understanding of what I would like to do in the accounting field. I also look forward to learning from such distinguished and knowledgeable individuals.” The Center for Career Design’s services to students like Patterson represent the practical side of career planning. The center provides structured programs, activities and events that lead to job search strategies, charting a career path and connecting classroom knowledge with the competencies required to get there. “Whether students realize it or not, they’re gaining real-world experience through their studies—even outside internships and part-time jobs. Our team works with students to help them translate class projects, writing assignments and other classroom learning into proof that they’re ready for their chosen careers,” Aiken said. Aiken noted that students can drop into the center’s services at any point in their career development journey. That may be in the early stages of exploring what professional opportunities exist in their area of study, aligning their studies with their desired career field, and attending workshops on skills and employment trends in their interest area. As students ready to hunt for internships and jobs, the center helps with drafting resumes, prepping for job interviews, and even providing free clothing from its Career Closet.
While playing doctor, teacher or policeman as kids was fun, narrowing down your career options as a college student may be overwhelming. Struggling with personal challenges that affect their career goals or uncertainty about their major or career choices only confound the decision. For those students, the Counseling Center is a confidential space for self-assessment and career exploration, overcoming personal barriers and adopting a healthier approach to career development. “Career concerns are complexly intertwined with personal, emotional or relationship issues. That’s why our career counseling combines self-exploration interest inventories and other assessments, with helping students process the emotional and cognitive factors that influence their decision-making. This process is critical to their understanding of the deeper motivations behind career decisions, resolving internal conflicts and creating pathways that lead to external success and inner satisfaction,” said Oula Majzoub-Weaver, the Center’s crisis assessment and career counseling services coordinator. Interventions vary. They range from assessment tools that identify and validate a student’s chosen major or career path, to addressing underlying barriers like self-doubt, low self-esteem, imposter syndrome, anxiety or other psychological factors that might complicate decision-making. Whatever the pathway, the result includes strategies and techniques specific to each student’s unique needs. These may involve beneficial behavior or lifestyle changes. They could also include changing academic majors, redefining career expectations or coping with the emotional aspects of those shifts. Data collected by the Counseling Center demonstrates that the students participating in its career counseling services become significantly more confident in their career choices. “Students consistently report that they have more confidence about the type of work they would really like to do, choosing from among several careers that interest them and deciding which academic programs might be best suited for them after relying on the center’s career counseling services,” said Cheryl Yatsko, the Center’s assistant director. That confidence, Yatsko said, benefits the student in several ways. It translates into positive grades in the classroom because the student is in a field of study they enjoy and feel connected to. It also helps the student avoid studies in an area they’re less interested in or have an aptitude for, which means they’re spending less time—and less money—on the trial-and-error method of shopping around for a college major.
Graduating from Columbus State doesn’t close the door to receiving career development support. After graduation, alumni can continue to benefit from the Center for Career Design services—and receive up to three career counseling sessions from the Counseling Center’s team. “Our alumni are part of the Columbus State family forever, so the center continues to foster their career needs into their professional lives,” Aiken explained. “That includes exploring new opportunities in their current field, identifying ways to upskill for a promotion, or refreshing their resume and interview skills if they’re beginning a new job search.” Building and maintaining a professional network is as vital to young alumni as to seasoned professionals. That’s one benefit of the university’s 40,000-member CSU Alumni Association, according to Katie Evans ’11, ’13, the university’s annual giving and alumni engagement director. “Events and leadership roles allow alumni at all stages of their professional careers to connect,” Evans (pictured) said. “Fellow alumni can provide insights into employment opportunities in their industry, share job-hunting tips, and help open doors to potential jobs.” Aiken also stressed the association’s membership is usually where faculty members go when seeking guest speakers, mock interview day volunteers, or mentors for their exceptional students. “Each of these gives our alumni—many of whom are business leaders and hiring managers—a way to get acquainted with our talented students and see what they can do,” Aiken said. “Students in every one of our majors love to learn from our alumni already working in their chosen fields, and this also gives our alumni first dibs at hiring our soon-to-be graduates.”
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