Understanding UNA's Career Center
At the core of a Career Center is the goal that is shared by all members of the university - the success of students.
UNA's Career Center has 4 Core Functions:
- Career Counseling
- Individual and Group Counseling
- Personality Assessments
- Job Search and Internships
- Career Fairs
- Recruiting
- Networking
- Managing Internships
- Education and Workshops
- Career Courses
- Informational Workshops
- Classroom Sessions
- Programming and Outreach
- Marketing and Promoting Services to students, alumni, faculty and employers
Where does Career Services Fit in a University?
Many of the functions are multidimensional resulting in an office that could fit in a variety of departments, including student affairs, academic affairs or advancement.
- After the economic crisis in 2008, the value of the college degree was questioned and the demand for the career services as an integral piece of students education increased. This led to a new era of career development -- one of collaboration and connected communities (Day & Cruzyargara, 2014).
On-Campus and Off-Campus Collaborative Partnerships
- Students
- Peer Mentoring and Advising
- Student Advisory Councils
- Student-Led Events
- Faculty and Staff
- Collaborate for major-specific events and career-related class assignments
- Alumni
- Engage with alumni to encourage mentoring, networking and panel discussions
- Employers
- Connect students to employers for experiential learning and job recruiting
UNA Career Center Quick Facts
- 4 Full-Time, Masters-Level Professional Staff
- 1 National Certified Counselor
- 4 Certified Career Service Providers
- Discipline specific career fairs each semester
- Services available to alumni
Dey, F. & Cruzvergara, C.Y. (2014). Evolution of career services in higher education. New Directions for Student Services, 128, 5-18.
Grier-Reed, T.L. & Skaar, N.R. (2010). An outcome study of career decision self-efficacy and indecision in an undergraduate constructivist career course. The Career Development Quarterly, 59, 42-53.
Hinkelman, J.M. & Luzzo, D. A. (2007). Mental health and career development of college students. Journal of Counseling & Development, 85, 143-147.
National Association of Colleges and Employers (2017). Career services: Most common division, names. Retrieved from http://www.naceweb.org/career-development/organizational-structure/career-services-most-common-divisions-names/ .
Reardon, R.C., Melvin, B., McClain, M.C., Peterson, G.W., & Bowman, W.J. (2015). The career course as a factor in college graduation. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 17(3), 336-350.
Schaub, M. (2012). The profession of college career services delivery: What college counselors should know about career centers. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 26, 201-215.
Sutton, G. & Gifford, R. (2011). Career counseling centers at the college level. In J.L. Samide, G.T. Eliason, & J. Patrick (Eds.), Career Development in Higher Education, (pp. 119-136). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
- It has been shown that having clear career goals is positively correlated with academic retention.
- There is overlap between mental health and career concerns and career counseling can help reduce psychological distress.