From homework to hired

Career Center offers meetings, mentoring and more to help students find jobs

FUTURE VISION — Students can look for jobs and internships through the Career Center.  Photo Credit: Christianne Gormley

FUTURE VISION — Students can look for jobs and internships through the Career Center.
Photo Credit: Christianne Gormley

With the pressures of homework, exams and college life, students may put the importance of preparing for success beyond graduation on the back burner — but the Liberty University Career Center is here to help.

They offer a variety of one-on-one meetings and upcoming career fairs to set any LU student on the path to landing that dream job.

The Career Center understands the value of preparation for even the busiest of students, and provides aid to all students from freshmen to seniors and even alumni.

Services include resume critiques, mock interviews, phone appointments, internships, job searches and numerous planned career information sessions.

Office Administrator of the Career Center Lana DeWulf described the quality help the Career Center has to offer.

“Our career counselors are great,” DeWulf said.

“They’re all major-specific, so they’re experts in their section. We really do encourage students as young as freshmen to start coming in and seeing us.”

Besides helping students build resumes and seek out student worker positions, the Career Center also has a schedule of upcoming career search events with big-name corporate employers, including Chick-fil-a, Geico, the CIA, the FBI and Kohl’s.

These information sessions allow students to personally meet employers, learn more about what a company is looking for and get involved in gaining career experience.

For the student with a demanding workload these brief yet effective networking opportunities can be invaluable for a potential job or internship.

Students can RSVP to any of the events through LU Network, Liberty’s primary job database and search tool.

In addition to providing insight into particular companies, the career fairs also give students an opportunity to evaluate personal skills and meet like-minded students who are pursuing similar career goals.

While preparing for a career fair or information session, the Career Center advises students to research a company before the event, dress professionally and print copies of a resume to hand out to employers.

“You should research beforehand and really understand that you want to spend a good chunk of your time with these companies,” DeWulf said.

“And that will show when you aren’t just stopping by, taking a free promotional item, and saying ‘Thanks for the free pen!’ Stay there, meet and greet with them, talk with them, share with them what you think of their company, and why you would love to work there.”

ONE-ON-ONE — The Career Center has major-specific counselors to assist every student. Photo Credit: Amber Tiller

ONE-ON-ONE — The Career Center has major-specific counselors to assist every student.
Photo Credit: Amber Tiller

Liberty University devotes a wide variety of resources to both prepare students for the career field and to attract the interest of influential companies.

According to the Career Center, programs such as Christian community service (CSER) help to develop a spirit of servant-mindedness in students which attracts many different organizations who might draw from LU talent and raise awareness through such career events.

Through this, the Career Center said it is able to walk a student from the creation of a resume to the end goal of getting hired into a desired field, providing support every step of the way – even amidst schoolwork.

Above all, the goal of the Career Center is to send students into the work force with a Christian worldview and hearts for Christ, in order to impact the students’ chosen industries for the benefit of the kingdom.

“Going into the secular world is definitely difficult, but Liberty trains us so well to bring faith into every aspect of our lives,” DeWulf said.

“So I think you go into a place like a work environment and stand out. Be a light, and people will notice that and ask you about it, and that’s a great opportunity to share your faith.”

A full schedule of the Career Center’s professional employment information events, as well as guides for proper preparation can be found at liberty.edu/careerevents.

SAUPEE is a feature reporter.

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