It goes without saying that a person attending college is doing so with their sights set on a brighter future. While a student may focus on excelling in academics, getting the grades and earning your degree is only part of the equation when it comes to solidifying your success in the job market after you graduate.
Whether you are a first-year student, an upcoming graduate or an Eagle alum, Morehead State’s Career Services has a multitude of ways to assist students and give them the best chance to succeed in their chosen careers.
Megan Boone, career counselor/employer liaison with MSU’s Career Services, said the office’s intent is to give all MSU students the help they need when it comes to choosing and pursuing a job.
“We assist with the entire career development process, from deciding on a major to pursuing internships to marketing yourself to employers or graduate programs when you finish your degree,” Boone said.
While Boone said students should establish a solid relationship with their academic adviser early on to for help with their class selection, Career Services’ career counselors can guide students through determining a major while offering personality and interest inventories to help them establish an ideal starting point so they’ll stay engaged throughout their academic career.
“That’s the piece that people don’t realize. Retention is higher if they know what their major is going to be,” she said.
Career Services offers cover letter and resume critiques, mock interviews and will help you develop better networking abilities and other skills to make you more marketable, whether it’s proper dining etiquette or learning how to manage your social media presence.
Students can utilize Career Services throughout the academic year and MSU alumni can take advantages of the office’s offerings after they graduate. It helps individuals apply for internships, co-ops, clinicals, practicums and other opportunities to obtain real world experience to accompany their college degree.
“Right now, we’re really trying to push getting experience while you’re a student, and that’s something they need to think about their freshman, sophomore and junior years,” Boone said.
When it comes to linking students and MSU alumni up with potential employers or graduate programs, Career Services does this most successfully through their MSU Career Fairs. These take place twice a year (one during fall semester, one during spring semester) and attract businesses, companies and graduate programs from across Kentucky as well as neighboring states like Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and West Virginia.
MSU Career Fairs are important for any student in any major to attend to help them evaluate their options and meet fellow MSU alumni who have gone on to achieve success in their field. It also helps them to make a face-to-face connection. Regardless of the multitude of ways technology allows students to communicate, Boone said these kinds of meetings leave a more lasting impression.
“I think the employers and graduate programs find it difficult to evaluate a candidate based on a resume or an online application,” she said. “Networking and meeting people is important. It’s still important.”
In order to stand out in a competitive market, Boone said today’s Eagle students should utilize MSU’s Career Services early and often to prepare them for the professional world.
“If they start thinking about their future earlier, they are going to be more successful. We can help them throughout that process,” she said.
MSU Career Services will hold its next Career Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, on the third floor of the Adron Doran University Center. The event is open to the community as well as MSU students and alumni. Attendees are recommended to research participating organizations, dress professionally and bring copies of their resume.
For more information on MSU’s Career Services, call 606-783-2233, email careerservices@moreheadstate.edu or visit www.moreheadstate.edu/career.
