Many on Marshall University’s Huntington campus are familiar with the Student Resource Center as well as Career Services. Now these two student services are housed under the new Office of Career Education.
The merger helps students align their career goals with the pursuit of a best-fit academic major, according to Sherri Smith, associate vice president for academic affairs.
“Students often don’t realize that more than one major can lead to a particular cluster of careers. The expanded mission of the Office of Career Education is aimed at revealing these opportunities for students, either through career exploration, or discovery of applicable academic programs, or both,” Smith said.
Although the Office of Career Education was formed to facilitate more proactive interventions with students, both the Student Resource Center (SRC) and Career Services remain committed to helping the population of students each has historically served.
Located in the Memorial Student Center, the SRC offers consultations primarily for freshmen and sophomores through two new initiatives: First Year Discovery and Sophomore Focus. First Year Discovery includes major exploration, job shadowing placement, experiential learning exploration, values and beliefs consultation, and more. Sophomore Focus assists students with skill assessment and development, study abroad planning, and internship planning. The goal is to help sophomores locate experiences and tools that will amplify and enrich the academic path they are pursuing.
Career Services, located on 5th Avenue, continues to assist juniors and seniors with professional development by preparing them for professional positions after graduation and helping employers to connect with students for employment.
Staff at both locations are cross-trained to work with every student, according to Denise Hogsett, director of the Office of Career Education. All students are invited to walk in to get assistance with any career education needs they may have.
“Our team is trained to consider the students’ strengths and weaknesses, gather information and explore possibilities for majors within their chosen calling and help them make decisions so they know how to engage employers and develop a proper resume,” Hogsett said. “This year we will be researching the concept of having career consultants for each college, working closely with those colleges’ faculty and staff to focus on the needs of those students transitioning to their respective workplaces.”
Hogsett said the Office of Career Education has expanded to the South Charleston campus with the opening of an SRC location. There the focus is on student engagement, career guidance and helping students develop a toolkit for success as they transition to the Huntington campus.
“Employers today are looking for the graduate who has it all: communication skills, leadership skills, problem-solving skills, technical skills, and lots of relevant and varied experiences,” Hogsett said. “So we ask ourselves, ‘How can we get these students on a path to finish their degrees and succeed in the workplace, no matter the industry or institution? What is the best way to get them there?’ We feel strongly that the collaboration between academics and career guidance is the key.”
Hogsett said she strongly encourages the university’s faculty and staff to refer students to the Office of Career Education in order to help them to establish a strong link between their academic pursuits and their chosen career aspirations.
Faculty, staff, advisers and students can also call 304-696-2370 or e-mail mailto:careereducation@marshall.eduto schedule appointments and refer students for career education services.