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As you’re traveling unknown byways of
the future, pockmarked with a competitive
job market and still-recovering economy,
it doesn’t hurt to have the right guide in
the driver’s seat. And, if you’re going to get
very far, you better make sure you have a
roadmap and a full tank of gas. That’s where
Cedarville’s Career Services comes in.
Exploring the Possibilities
Like with any journey, the first essential
step is knowing where you’re headed. This
isn’t a leisurely Sunday drive — you need to
know your final destination. Career Services
calls this “career exploration”—determining
what major you want to study — and the
earlier a student does this the better. For
recent finance graduate Travis St. Ores ’15,
that step started
really
early: his junior year
of high school. “I visited Career Services on
a campus visit and took a career assessment
test,” he explained. “It pushedme towheremy
strengths were.” Although he knewhe wanted
to study finance, this assessment helped him
realize the different possibilities within the
field and determine which area most closely
aligned with his interests.
Career Services offers the MyPlan
assessment, which helps students identify
majors that fit their interests, and then
eventually what career fields fit those majors.
According to Jeff Reep ’79, Director of
Career Services, students are often surprised
by what they can do with their interests and
strengths. “Just because you like math and
are good at it,” explained Reep, “it doesn’t
mean you have to be amath teacher.”MyPlan
helps students see the possibilities beyond
the expected.
How crucial is this step? Imagine taking
a long road trip to an unfamiliar location
without ever plugging your destination
into a GPS or (old school, but still effective)
consulting a map. At every CU Friday —
Cedarville’s campus visit event for high
school students and their families — Reep
presents “Where a Degree From Cedarville
Can Take You” as well as his “Big 5” ideas
to help students prepare for a career, before
they step foot on campus as a student.
One of the best ways colleges can save
students money is tomake sure they graduate
in four years. And one of the best ways to
make sure you graduate on time? Discovering
your passion early and sticking with it. For St.
Ores, by choosing his major early and taking
summer courses, he was able to graduate in
three-and-a-half years.
Navigating the Process
Once you know where
you’re headed, you’ll need
to determine the best route
to take — how do I actually
get there? On a road trip,
you need a GPS or a map, a
full tank of gas, and some
snacks for the ride. But for
students navigating their
journey to their dream career, they’ll need
to develop the necessary skills that will
help them make it to the next step. How to
write an effective résumé, how to prepare
for an interview, and how to discover job
opportunities are all tools students need
to navigate a competitive job market. This
step — developing lifelong navigational
skills — can, and should, start as early as
a student’s freshman year. Career Services
partners with seven academic departments
across campus, along with 15 majors,
to come into classrooms and begin educating
students on the importance of a good
résumé, interviewing skills, and teaching
how to research job opportunities.
Career Services has helped applied
communication major Chelsea Castillo ’15
see the importance of a good résumé. “I
looked up résumé examples online, but
they just didn’t sound like me,” she said.
“Career Services helped me put together
a professional résumé that focused on the
things employers are looking for. And it
sounded like me.” Having a place to go and
talk to someone one-on-one has been a
big confidence booster for Castillo. “Laura
[(Jolly) Lintz ’03, Assistant Director of
Career Services] helped me see how my
past experiences could translate to relevant
job skills on a résumé. It made me more
confident in myself and what I have to offer.”
For St. Ores, The Business Experience
course, which included extensive interaction
with Career Services staff members, made
him “wake up and grow up” very quickly. “I
realized that I couldn’t wait to get a résumé
together,” he explained. “Four years goes
very fast.”
As part of that course, St. Ores learned
how to effectively prepare for a job interview.
“I learned what questions to expect and how
to think quickly without stumbling over
answers,” he said.
CAREER SERVICES:
PL TTING YOUR
COURSE
by Michele (Cummings) Solomon ’91
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Cedarville Magazine