With the relative scarcity of jobs in today’s economy, James West sees the career coaching that N.C. State’s College of Management offers as an opportunity too good to pass up.

The Career and Internship Development Center at the College of Management announced career development workshops last week. The workshops are part of an ongoing series that continues through the end of the month.

West, a junior in general studies, said he is planning to matriculate into the College of Management next semester.

“I see the value in career coaching,” West said. “Once in management, career coaching is high on my list of priorities.”

West said he hopes career coaching will help him get a step ahead of his peers when he graduates and dives into the job market.

“I have a lot of friends who have graduated from college who aren’t using their degrees. Any opportunity I have to get a leg up in the job market is worth the time and effort,” West said.

West is making every preparation to ensure his time spent at N.C. State pays off in the long term.

“I didn’t spend all this money [on tuition] to flip burgers at McDonald’s,” West said.

The workshops began last week and are scheduled to continue through the end of February.

In this month’s development sessions, the center will include lessons on resumes and cover letters, interviewing skills, career exploration and evaluating job offers.

Janet Rakes, career coach at the College of Management, organizes and sets the schedule for the workshops. She also teaches some of the workshops.

Rakes feels the workshops are highly beneficial to all College of Management students.

“It would be great if students got started early, even as early as freshman year,” Rakes said. “Employers are looking for career experience.”

The Career and Internship Development Center helps students get a job after graduation. According to N.C. State’s website, 278 College of Management students reported their status after graduation in May 2008: 54.3 percent reported they were employed.

Ryan Kilby, a senior in environmental design in architecture, said he had never heard about the workshops.

“I am in the process of changing majors from architecture, so I never really got to the point where I needed to find an internship,” Kilby said.

But if he were at the point where he needed an internship, the program would be helpful, according to Kilby.

Danan Smith, a senior in biological sciences, said the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences has similar programs.

“Students turn to education in order to pick out their own path,” Smith said. “[Workshops] for entrepreneurial purposes would be particularly useful, because the jobs just aren’t out there.”

Students interested in registering for a workshop, or finding out more about the program, can call 515-5565. Students can also drop by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at the College of Management for more information.