What career? I’m just a freshman

[Comment Below]

By Stephanie Lee

The well-established world of high school is behind you and before you is the vastness of the unknown called college. Starting as freshman again, most of you know the basics of scheduling classes, finding a place to live, joining school organizations, and getting a part-time job. Most of you wide-eyed freshmen do not know that LSU offers the benefits of a Career Services.

First, Career Services is not a placement agency. In the last 10 to 20 years, Career Services has evolved from simply placing students in jobs to becoming a place where a student can develop their career. Choosing, exploring, networking and finding jobs are the areas Career Services help students. The department’s goal is to teach life skills to every student who darkens the door.

For a student looking for a part time job while they are in school, Career Services offers programs like experiential education, which allows the student to develop and learn about their career through experience. Another helpful program, which is more tailored to engineering students, is the Co-op. In this program, students can alternate each semester with full time work in their field and going to school, while still keep their full-time student status. There is an LSU-specific job board as well that allows employers looking for LSU students specifically to find them.

On the University’s Web site, under Career Services, Careers2Geaux offers the same benefits that sites like Monster.com and CareerBuilders.com offer. A student can log in with their LSU e-mail address, create an account and profile. They can search for jobs based on their classification and qualifications. Students can set the parameters by type of job, whether it is on-campus or off and whether it is full or part time.

The most interesting program that Career Services offer is the on-campus interviews. This is conducted through Careers2Geaux. This event lets the students know that a certain company is looking to hire. For example, company A is looking for a part time graphic designer, and they will be conducting one day of interviews, which conveniently take place in the Career Services office in cubicles set up specifically for this. There is a deadline for the student to submit their resume and for the company to set up an interview. This is an ongoing process.

Sara E. Crow, the Communications Manager of Career Services, stated, “We want freshmen to know that we can help them make career decisions, including choosing a major.” She pointed out that on the Career Services site, there is a tab titled Assessment. This section basically lets the student know exactly what can be done with the degree they have or will have. It informs the students of the type of employers who hiring individuals with a certain degree, what kind of skills will be needed, and what kind of salary the degree can earn.

Lastly, you might notice a skinny, yellow flyer circulating around campus (if you do not, then stop by Career Services and get one). This flyer details a Four-Year Career Plan. For the freshman, awareness of what is available is important. For the sophomore, exploration is the key. For the junior, gaining experience should be the main focus and for the senior, transition from the internship, part time or co-op position to the full-time career is what should take place. Preparation is the key. Freshmen, start now by visiting the Career Services office in the Patrick E. Taylor building.

Originally Published: Issue 701 - August 19, 2008

Share on Facebook

Back to the top