With many students starting to think about summer internship and co-op opportunities, the Career Development Center gives its input on how to utilize the bounty of resources offered, from drop-in resume critiquing to “externships,” and shares just how many NC State students take advantage of these resources.
Marcy Bullock, director of professional development, summarized the Career Development Center and its mission.
“The Career Development Center is a place where students can come to learn about what direction they might be considering going in the future,” Bullock said. “The Career Development Center prepares and empowers students to identify and pursue their career goals.”
While many students turn to the internet to find the perfect cover letter format or how to prepare for interviews, Arnold Bell, executive director of the Career Development Center, said that the office provides a personal touch that online sources can’t match.
“We all learn and process information differently,” Bell said. “The information is out there, but we are here as follow-up and as the initial point of contact if the student prefers that human touch and human interaction.”
D.R. Ingram, associate director of student services, said that one-on-one sessions with career counselors is an easy way to have questions on individual situations answered.
“One of the main opportunities [that the Career Development Center provides] is a way to connect with a staff person or career counselor,” Ingram said. “We have sessions to ask questions about your resume or cover letter, thinking about the job search, co-ops and internships.”
Pam Floryanzia, associate director of the co-op program, said that the co-op program is a great way to develop real-world professional skills as a college student. Over one thousand students participated in the co-op program last year.
“The co-op program is a unique academic program that gives students the opportunity to work full-time while they are in school, maintaining student status while they work,” Floryanzia said. “They will graduate with a four-year degree and a year of work experience … There are some employers who love internships, but some like to see students for a longer period of time.”
Bullock said in terms of looking for internships and co-ops, while it better to start early, it is never too late to start either. She recommends going to career fairs in early spring, where students can interact with active recruiters.
“At all of the Career Fairs hosted by NC State, employers are actively recruiting for internships and co-ops,” Bullock said. “January and February are busy with Career Fairs, including the Engineering Career Fair, the Poole College of Management Career Fair, and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Career Fair.”
Kelly Laraway, Director of Employer Relations, described ePack and how students should use their account. According Bell, over 60 percent of students utilized ePack last academic year, and that the Career Development Center would like to see this percentage increase to 90.
“All students have an ePack account,” Laraway said. “Employers post all of their available job, internship, co-op opportunities and we review each and every one. On the student side, they can make an appointment with their Career Counselor, engage with employers, RSVP for events and workshops.”
One such workshop is LAUNCH, said Bullock. She said over 300 students participate in LAUNCH each semester, while about 50 earn the Professional Development Certificate. These workshops are run by Career Ambassadors, who worked with over 7000 students total last year.
“One of the programs on ePack is LAUNCH, which is a professional development series,” Bullock said.” We have eight different topics that fall under the umbrella of career readiness. Students who complete six of those sessions can receive a certificate signed by their Dean.”
Bell said that while the Career Development Center has the resources, students need to take the initiative to utilize these resources.
For more information on the Career Development Center, students can visit their office (2100 Pullen Hall) or website.
