Pave Your Path: Career Services Offers Students Opportunities to Hone

The Career Services Department organizes several events throughout the school year to give students opportunities to invest in their future. 

The Internship Workshop is one of these events that is held in the fall and spring semesters. 

“The Internship Workshop is a way for students to learn more about internships. We host them before scheduling begins to give students time to fit our workshop into their schedule,” Kristen Stratton, internship coordinator, said. 

In addition to coordinating events like the Internship Workshop, Stratton teaches career-focused courses like Cornerstone in the fall and the College Success Seminar in the spring.

“A few majors are required to complete internships, and I love to bring students in who have completed internships. Students gain value from hearing other students’ stories,” Stratton said. 

Stratton guides students on their journeys to find internships through one-on-one sessions that she holds from 12-1 p.m.in her office in Chambers 219. 

“I started doing this more consistently before the pandemic, and now we’re back to doing them again in a normal way,” Stratton said. 

Stratton started this project in 2018 and she plans events for companies to come to campus to engage with students. Stratton tries to have a couple of employers from various fields outside the dining hall every week.

“It’s a great way for students to network,” Stratton said. 

In March, Stratton will be hosting “The Professional Professions” Event. Stratton has invited a few alumni in different disciplines to talk about careers within their fields. There will be beer-tasting and live music at the event. 

Stratton and her team regularly meet with various employers throughout the week to try and bring different opportunities to campus. 

“We’re always looking for new and innovative ideas,” Stratton said. 

Stratton kicks off the events at the end of September. She starts the spring semester events in February. She will send out emails regularly to inform students about these upcoming events. 

Stratton goes to  almost every Cornerstone in the fall and spring to talk about internships. 

“We’re in everyone’s business,” she said. “We’re in the classroom, we deal  with employers, and we’re out in the community planning career and internship fairs.” 

On Sunday, Feb.19, Stratton had an off-campus event at JCPenney to give students a discount on professional attire they’d need for interviews. Students could also get their portraits taken for their LinkedIn profile. 

“Taking advantage of these career and internship opportunities is important to build your professional network and grow yourself professionally while you’re in college,” Stratton said. “Our goal is to make you as competitive and marketable as possible by the time you graduate.”