Q.Who uses the Career Center?
A. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, graduate students, students working on their teacher certification, and alumni visit the Career Center for advice and assistance. We invite all students and alumni to use our services when planning a career, making a career change, investigating local, national, and international employers, putting together a resume, preparing for job interviews, developing a portfolio, learning how to search for jobs effectively, exploring government employment, discovering which teaching fields are in greatest demand, researching future employment trends, or looking for someone to help with any other area related to career preparation and development.
Q. I'm just starting college. Why do I need the Career Center?
A. The Career Center can get you started in the right direction to achieve your career goals. If people are already asking you what you're going to do when you graduate, but you don't know what to say, don't panic. There's plenty of time for you to decide—and plenty of resources to help you make that important career decision.
For example, our trained career counselors can help you identify your values, interests, and skills. Assessments such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®), the Self-Directed Search (SDS), and Focus can help you learn more about yourself and use your self-awareness in exploring careers. If you would like to do the MBTI®, SDS, or Focus, call 836-5636 to make an appointment with one of our career counselors.
Q. If I already know what I want to major in, why should I bother with the Career Center?
A. You may have decided on a major, but do you know the different kinds of occupations that are well suited for that major? What about the employers who hire graduates with your major? Should you expect to relocate after you graduate? For example, if you want to stay in a small town, but your occupation demands that you work in a more metropolitan area, it's better to know early so you can make the necessary adjustments.
Q. Will the Career Center get me a job?
A. The Career Center doesn't work like an employment agency. Instead, our mission focuses upon education: we attempt to teach people job searching skills that they can use throughout their lives. For example, students and alumni who learn how to use the Internet for researching companies, occupations, or geographic locations will be able to utilize that skill anytime they need to and won't be dependent upon someone else doing it for them. We do, however, link students and employers. When employers contact our office, requesting referrals of qualified candidates, we send them the resumes of those students and alumni who are registered with us and who match the employers' specified qualifications. JobTracks is the Career Center's online posting of current job openings and internships. The Browse feature of JobTracks is free for Missouri State faculty, staff, and students; full-access is a one-time, $20 fee for students. The Career Center conducts career fairs, which enable students to meet employers. And about 90 recruiters come on campus each year to interview students (Full access to JobTracks is required for on-campus recruiting).
Q. I've seen students looking at some books in the Career Center. What kind of information is there for me to use?
A. The Career Center has a small area containing an assortment of literature on a wide variety of occupations and majors: history, mathematics, economics, political science, government, art, business, English, health care, and travel and hospitality--just to name a few. The Career Center also has resources for students to use when they're researching companies, international employment, federal and Missouri government, school districts, and graduate schools. We also computer with Internet access for students to retrieve the latest information on companies, occupations, locations, and other issues related to their career preparation.
Q. What if I read this information and I still don't know what to do? Or what if I need help finding information?
A. We encourage you to make an appointment with one of our professional staff members. We'll work with you individually to help you identify, understand, and resolve concerns you may have about selecting a major or about making any other kind of career decision. You also may want to take IDS 120, which is a course called Approaches to Career Life Planning. Four sections are offered each semester: two full-semester sections; one section offered in the first block; and one section offered second block.
Q. How do I make an appointment with the Career Center?
A. Call 836-5636, or come to our office in Carrington Hall, Room 309 or Glass 103, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. Whether you make an appointment to visit with one of our staff members or just stop by our office, we'll be glad to see you.