With a tough job market for new college graduates, many Norwich students are concerned about finding a job once they graduate. The career development center at Norwich is designed to help students get on track to find the type of job they are looking for.
Richard Macris, a 22-year-old senior communication major from Manhattan, N.Y., said, “The career office is a great way to make connections to get jobs and points students in the right direction if they don’t know what they want to do.”
The career development center can also help with resumes and portfolios to prepare students to apply for jobs.
Siena Morgan, a 19-year-old sophomore double major in English and communications from Dallas, Texas, said, “They helped me with my resume and make my portfolio look more professional.”
The center guides the student through a process that narrows their job search. Once students have a few ideas, they can then search for a company in that field.
“A lot if it depends on how motivated the student, is how soon he or she starts looking for the job and what major the student graduates with,” said Kathryn Provost, director of the career development center.
The center is especially handy for corps students who are not contracted, and for those students who decide to go into the civilian life once they are done.
“Over the past seven to eight years within the corps, about 32 to 38 percent went into the military and the other 65 percent went to the cooperate work force or graduate school,” Provost said. “In 2009 we saw an increase for students that went to graduate school.”
With the decline in the economy, there are fewer jobs available then there have been in previous years. This has limited the availability of some jobs.
The career development center also helps with internships, which can help students acquire a job in the future. Internships are a requirement for all majors at NU. A section of the career office helps students find internships.
Rachael Bitar, a 21-year-old senior communications major from Dedham, Mass., said, “They help out a lot of people. I know they hooked up a lot of people with internships over the school year.”
Students may also get in contact with alumni who are willing to help with a job or internship. The career center helps students contact alumni.
There are also career fairs held on campus throughout the year. These fairs are for all majors. Alumni are also there to help students find jobs and internships in their fields.
“A lot of the companies, around 40-60 percent, will send a Norwich alum as their representative to our career fairs,” Provost said. “That’s one avenue where alumni help our students.”
The career development center has a website, www.alumni.norwich.edu/careers. There students can pick their major and find out what companies are hiring or accepting internships.
The site also helps students find alumni to contact for help. Any job for that major is also there with the companies to contact.
Morgan said that she plans on going back to the career center for more help and will also use the internship office to get her internship.