Careers: Career Centers Reaching Out

I just got back from a regional conference of NACE, the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Not being a career center director, it was interesting for me to hear a common lament: that so many students don't avail themselves of the wonderful tools that colleges and universities provide.

I remember how naive - and lucky - I was back in my graduating days. The lucky part was that as an engineering student when times were good, I was able to procure a handful of admirable job offers. The naive part was that I hadn't a clue how to prepare resumes, research companies, interview, follow up, market....all things that good career centers can provide their students.

It seems that many students still avoid these wonderful resources. Why? On one hand, the Internet certainly allows for easier research. Of course, it also can swamp the novice researcher with TMI - too much information. Part also, is that when we "don't know what we don't know" and college (and our affluent society) has come easy, there is often a pre-conception that the job seeker will land in a really cool job with a really cool employer right off. Ah, the dreams of babes...

Many schools I believe could benefit from inculcating this career mentality early on - perhaps (as strange as it seems) even during the intial orientation process. So what if a student doesn't know what her or his major is going to be yet? The career center has resources to help with that! (see my posting of July 24). I would even go so far as to suggest a mandatory one credit-hour class all about the offerings and services of career centers. Hey, the kids can show up and get an A... not bad for discovering things early that can aid and abet the next say 40-50 years of life..

It seems to me that the more that schools can market their services as an integral part of the campus experience , the more prepared their grads will be for the real world. And the more that aggressive employers might be willing to help subsidize the school's career program even more. One such school, Michigan Technological Institute has used this approach to receive private sector funding for large chunks of their career center facilities and resources. A program worth replicating everywhere, don't you think?