Career Development Center Offers New Services

One recent addition to the center is an online career resource library known as "Vault." CDC Director Carolyn Delcore said that Vault is considered by many to be the best program of its type. Vault offers a collection of more than 60 career guides and employer profiles and an extensive free job board with thousands of job openings. Vault was added to the electronic resources of the CDC, which includes the job listing service "Monstertrak,"  and "Pinpoint," a computer-based career guidance system.

Pinpoint is an important part of a joint effort with the Office of Academic Advising to aid students who have not declared a major. The trial program, which was put into place during the fall 2003 semester, will continue to be monitored throughout the academic year.

"There are a variety of reasons why students choose to be undeclared," said Delcore. "We want to make sure they know what resources are available to them during this exploratory period. We want them to take advantage of the special opportunities available to them, which includes having a career counselor as well as an advisor."

Delcore said that there are currently 122 students participating in the trial program.

In addition to new programming, the list of potential employers at the Student Employment Services (SES) branch of the CDC continues to increase.

For 12 years, the SES has helped students find part-time or seasonal jobs in the community and beyond, as well as temporary service jobs on campus.
Senior Career Counselor Barbara Barry said that last year alone there were 265 off-campus employers listed, and that approximately 300 students got jobs in the community through SES's services.

"Although winter is the slowest time of the year, there are still several on- and off-campus jobs available," said Barry.

She also believes that the program has many other useful functions besides helping students find jobs.

Barry said, "Since many of our students come from other parts of the state, this is a way to get them acquainted with the local employment scene. Plus, students have found that part-time jobs help them to develop new skills and clarify their work preferences."

As new resources are added the CDC will continue to bring students and alumni all of the same programs they offered in past semesters.

The Center will provide a series of workshops on such topics as: Resume and Cover Letter Writing, Conducting an Effective Job Search, Considering Graduate School, and Interviewing Effectively.

These workshops are offered on a regular basis, but appointments can be made for a classroom or one-on-one setting.

In addition, the CDC will maintain credential files, conduct mock interviews and continue a Resource Center Library with information on careers and employers.

The staff members at the CDC remain dedicated to supporting educational and career opportunities of Plattsburgh State's students and alumni.

"There probably aren't that many things in life more important than one's choice of a career," said Delcore. "We encourage students to approach it deliberately and conscientiously. It's not a hard sell once you stop and think about it. We just want to make sure that people think about it sooner rather than later."      
 
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