Career Development starts your first day on campus

Career counselors work with students, alumni

Point Park's annual internship and jobs fair gives students and alumni opportunities to network with prospective employers.

April 2011

College offers many opportunities -- academic, social, career-related -- that lead to the next step in each student's life, whether it's landing that first job or getting accepted into graduate school.

Developing a path to identify and reach your goals takes skill and knowledge -- both of which Point Park students will find through the University's newly restructured Career Development Center.

"Career development begins the moment students set foot on campus as freshmen," says Jan-Mitchell Sherrill, associate dean, Office of Campus Life. "It's not something you wait until your second semester senior year to do."

One of the biggest changes to the Career Development Center is the hiring of additional career counselors to meet the needs of the Point Park population. Whether students are full time, part time or taking an accelerate program, the center's new hours cover daytime, evenings and weekends so all students can get in touch with one of the four career counselors -- -- Amy Bittner, Elsie Boucek, Santina Frazer and Mark Platts. The center also assists Point Park alumni.

Another major change to come: Each counselor will be assigned to one of the University's four schools -- Communications, Arts & Sciences, Business, and COPA -- and will work closely with that school's Student Success Center.

"We'll be able to provide more outreach - get into classrooms, work with the Student Success Centers and really see a lot more students, and be more helpful to the faculty," Platts explains.

Many students first contact the Career Development Center for help with resumes and cover letters, but the center also provides guidance for students who are undecided or unsure of their major or career path.

"Students choose majors for all kinds of reasons," says Boucek. "Sometimes they get into a major and realize that it's not taking them where they want to go or that it's not what they thought it would be. A career counselor can help a student in that self exploration process to determine whether or not they're headed in the right direction."

"Our goal is to be able to help the whole student," says Sherrill, "and not necessarily just put them in a job. We also sponsor internship fairs and graduate school workshops. We're hoping to increase the number of Point Park graduates who also go on to graduate school."

A piece of advice from all the career counselors?

"Visit our office as soon as you can," recommends Bittner. "Even if it's just so that you get to know us and we get to meet you. That way, we can become a resource to you for each step. Time is limited here and those four or five years go really quickly. Let us help you to map out some of the major things that you can do while you're at Point Park to ensure that you find a good fit after Point Park."