The staff of the Career Center has the unique opportunity to facilitate the dreams, hopes and successes of students across all interests, majors, ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Acting as a springboard to the future, the staff coaches students in finding internships and jobs.
Recognizing the value of student success stories, the Career Center developed "Spotlights," a series of student and graduate profiles, to inspire students.
Already, 15 success stories have been displayed on the walls of Nelson Hall West and the Career Center Web site, including a feature about zoology major Kelsey Kuhn's internship working with big cats at the Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge in Texas, fisheries major Rachel Moore's summer job improving fish habitat in the Tongas National Forest, to Communication major Eric Greer's internship stint as a television reporter for KOMO 4 News in Seattle. What do the success stories have in common? Each success story is a testament to hard work: completing the courses, achieving the degree, crafting the resume, preparing for the interview and building networking relationships. But, as important, they all rise from the moment that passion surpasses fear and a bold step is taken to realize a dream.
That conviction certainly helped art history major Sarita Villanueva secure a curatorial internship this summer with the San Diego Historical Society. "Coming into the Career Center the first time, I was very scared and my anxiety was building up, but once I sat down with my career counselor, I started to relax and realized that her enthusiasm helped me be brave. I realize now I had fun doing it, knowing that I was helping myself find a fulfilling career."
The job market for students and graduates has rarely been better, creating an ample supply of opportunities for internships, summer jobs and career positions. "Start early and dream large!" advises Colin Pfifer, a biology major who interned last summer sighting whales in Madagascar. Individual counseling appointments, drop-in counseling sessions, workshops, and on-campus recruitment events occur every day of the week to coach students seeking opportunities. "The Career Center staff helped me highlight my accomplishments and taught me how to represent myself on paper -- to persuasively communicate my ideas and visions to others. The staff really works to support you in accomplishing your dreams. They helped me begin thinking about myself as a professional." says Colin.