Liberal Arts and Sciences students have found their way to the college’s new Career Services offices in Carver Hall.
The LAS Career Services staff moved from Catt Hall to Carver in August, and the increased amount of undergraduate traffic has been a pleasant surprise to Taren Crow.
Taren Crow, director of Career Services, said the center’s new location in Carver Hall provides better visibility for students."The visibility here has been great," said Crow, director LAS Career Services. "We have a lot more student traffic in the office than before."
Crow, along with program assistant Jennifer Meier and graduate assistant Emily Hockins, are located in 131 Carver. A constant stream of students passes their new office each day.
"Students now will just stop in and ask about the services we offer," Crow said. "They will often say, ‘This is what I want to do for a job, and how do I get there?’"
Increased marketing efforts also have made students more aware of the need to start planning for their career needs long before graduation. Career Services staff talked to many students at its exhibit at the Sept. 6 LAS Picnic on the Plaza, which served pizza and ice cream to hundreds of students. In addition, a video explaining the office’s services is consistently viewed by many students.
Attendance at two LAS Career Services workshops is up. A career fair preparation workshop drew 90 students and a resume-writing session pulled in 45, both far surpassing previous attendance levels.
The Sept. 25 career fairs in which LAS participated were jam-packed with students and employers. The Business, Industry and Technology Career Fair drew 169 employers and some 3,300 students to the Hilton Coliseum floor and concourse. Walking space was at a premium. The same day, another 77 employers attracted 1,300 students to the People to People Career Fair in the Scheman Building.
Crow said about 500 LAS students attended each career fair, which were open to all ISU students. The Business, Industry and Technology Fair is staged twice a year by LAS and the colleges of Human Sciences and Business.
"The career fairs are an opportunity for students to look an employer in the eye, shake hands and have a face-to-face interaction," Crow said.
The People to People event, sponsored two times a year by LAS and Human Sciences, featured employers from government agencies, non-profit organizations, and the social services, health and wellness, and hospitality sectors. Many of the employers were new to ISU.
"It brought a lot of new faces to campus," Crow said.
Crow said LAS students are realizing the need to prepare for their careers as early as their first year at ISU. Career fairs often help students land all-important internships, which can be a gateway to a job offer. Her staff also encourages students to be active on campus to enhance their experiences – and also their resumes.
"We remind students that employers always look beyond a student’s GPA," she explained.
LAS Career Services staff assists students – and LAS alumni – in many ways: Creating a personalized career plan, writing a resume and cover letter, searching for a job or internship, preparing for an interview and answering career-related questions.
Students and LAS alumni can make appointments with Career Services by logging into CyHire or calling 515-294-8691.
LAS Career Services website See the LAS Career Services video
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NEWS RELEASE College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Iowa State University
Contacts: Taren Crow, Career Services (515) 294-2967, taren@iastate.edu Steve Jones, Liberal Arts and Sciences Communications, (515) 294-0461, jones@iastate.edu