2008 Woodie Awards
Career Services aims to help all with decisions
Nick Moore
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Career Services at Saint Louis University is for everyone.
It offers several different kinds of career counseling to students, ranging from freshmen who are still in the process of deciding a major, to seniors who need help preparing for interviews or writing resumes.
If you are still deciding, that's OK. It's totally normal. Some people know what they want to study when they arrive, but many don't.
Use your freshman and sophomore years to try various classes in different disciplines, to give yourself a broad education and the possibility of finding something you really enjoy.
Kim Reitter, Director of Career Services, said that they offer several different methods of helping students who seek their assistance.
"It's not a clear-cut method; we tailor it to the individual student's need," Reitter said.
Reitter said that each student Career Services works with is different. Some may require only one session, while others may require more.
Career Services offers career counseling sessions with four different coordinators to assist students: Marian Dorna, Susan Gale, Wendy Jamison and Denise Pearl.
If you are still deciding on your major or are changing it, Career Services suggests four easy steps to help make that transition smoother.
First of all, get to know yourself. What is your personality type? People generally enjoy working around people who are similar to them.
What are your interests? Often, your hobbies and interests can become a part of your career.
What are you good at? It is important to look at your skills or what skills you might need to acquire to become the most marketable to an employer.
What are your work values? This is often overlooked when a student thinks about careers. However, what you value in a work situation can mean the difference between loving your place of employment or hating it.
Second, learn more about the world of work.
Go on informational interviews and talk to people in careers that you are considering. Try and find internships and co-ops while you are in school. Volunteer at an organization or agency that interests you. Talk to friends, family and peers about their work experiences. Search out information using Career Services or the Web.
Third, make a balanced decision. Use your head so that the career is practical for you. Use your heart so that the career is something that you will like and will be satisfied with.
Finally, use Career Services often in your college life. They can be useful with career counseling, career assessments, securing internships or co-ops and finding jobs.
In addition to these steps, Career Services, in conjunction with the psychology department, offers PSYA-194: Career Decision Making each semester. This one-credit, one-hour class will assist students in the career exploration process.
It is offered in an eight-week format during both the fall and spring semesters. Though it is geared more toward freshmen and sophomores, upperclassmen are welcome to take it as well. This course helps students gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the world of work, identify your values, personality type, interests and skills, become familiar with a variety of career-related resources and understand the process of career development.
Career Services is located in the Academic Resources Center at 3840 Lindell Blvd., Suite 110.
Students can call 977-2828 to schedule an appointment with a career counselor.
Career Services will also be hosting the Spring Career Fair on Thursday, Feb. 3 from 2-6 p.m. in the Busch Student Center.