CAREER SERVICES
The Office of Career Services, located in May Hall, room 206, provides students with the knowledge to make informed choices regarding career opportunities. The office assists students in exploring their full range of life and work possibilities. Career Services also functions as the central placement and job referral service for all alumni, current graduates, and students seeking part-time and full–time employment.
Career Assessment and Exploration
As a means for helping students to identify and pursue their career goals, Career Services first assists students in assessing their skills and interests, thinking about experiences they enjoy, and developing an understanding of their personality and values. Career Services also helps students to determine the relationship between their skills and interests and potential career fields. Important in this process is helping students find out about the educational requirements, salary, working conditions, and future outlook of the fields in which they are interested.
Career Services uses tools such as the Predictive Index Survey, which measures basic personality and behavior patterns, and then links the patterns to possible career choices. Another tool, the Discover Program, a computer-based planning system provides students with a developmental guidance process and a comprehensive database of educational and occupational information to help them make important career and educational decisions.
Job Procurement Skills and Employment
Career Services offers a wide variety of information on resumes, cover letters, and interviewing skills. A great bonus students can take advantage of is Career Services’ capabilities to critique their resumes and cover letters. A comprehensive library is maintained on employment literature, including employer directories, vacancy listings, resume and interviewing guides, and videos.
The office also provides students with access to current part-time and full time employment openings locally and across the nation. Resumes may also be posted on the Career Services website.
Workshops are offered on Career Assessment, Career Exploration, Job Search, Resume Writing, and Interviewing Skills.
Internship Center
Internships can provide students with an excellent opportunity to link classroom learning with experiential learning and to explore possible career fields. Internships require the cooperation and participation of the student, a faculty member, and a host site. The Internship Center in Career Services can assist students in identifying or developing internship opportunities and in helping students prepare an internship proposal for consideration by a faculty member.
Credential Files
Graduates may establish a credential file, which will be mailed to prospective employers with the graduate’s consent. This file consists of a personal data form, recommendations and a transcript. This file is a powerful job-seeking tool and works nicely to complement a resume and cover letter.
Job Fairs
Each spring, the Office of Career Services sponsors a Job Fair on Campus. This provides excellent opportunities for students and community members to meet face-to-face with some of the area top business employers.
For education majors, Career Services cooperates with other North Dakota universities to sponsor a state education career fair, called the Education Connection. This fair is held in Grand Forks, ND.
Graduate School Information
Career Services is also a source of information on Graduate School. The office houses many graduate catalogs from universities across the United States and can help students by providing them with information on determining their graduate school goals and objectives.
The Office of Career Services hosts a Graduate School Fair in the Fall semester. Some of the panel topics covered are: Why go to graduate school? How to pick a graduate school? How to finance graduate school? How to manage graduate school, a job and your family. The do’s and don’ts of applying to graduate school. Graduate schools are also invited to campus for a fair where students and the general public can visit with the graduate schools on an individual basis.