Bank of America Career Services Center, 865-2377
Career Services, located in the Bank of America Career Services Center, offers a number of programs and services to assist students in their career planning. Drop-in counseling is available to address students' immediate concerns and to determine their best course of action. A counselor is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays and until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays during the fall and spring semesters on a first-come, first-served basis to clarify career concerns; provide career information and make referrals; review resumes, cover letters, and application forms; and provide information on job-seeking skills.
Career Services also offers individual career counseling that can help students understand their thoughts and feelings related to career planning, make informed decisions and set goals, improve communication and job-seeking skills, and locate sources of career information. One-hour career counseling appointments are scheduled upon the recommendation of the drop-in counselor, or by an authorized referral source.
The Career Library has printed and video information on hundreds of occupations, academic majors, job-search strategies, and career planning. The center also offers graduate and professional school guides; employer directories; and notices of available internships, scholarships, and summer employment prospects. The library is open to students' weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays during the fall and spring semesters.
Staff members in Career Services teach job-search courses for credit in three career areas: Non-Technical (Business, Communications, Liberal Arts); Technical (Computer Technology, Engineering, Science); and Education (Elementary and Secondary Teaching, Administrative). Topics include determining career goals, identifying potential employers, formulating effective job-search strategies, preparing a resume, and improving interview techniques. CN ED 100, Effective Career Decision Making, focuses on factors that influence decision making, career, and major choice and is available to first-year students and sophomores.
Several hundred seminars and outreach programs are offered each year on a wide range of career topics such as resume writing, interview skills, job-search strategies, internships, graduate school applications, and effective use of the on-campus interviewing system.
In addition, services that students in their final semesters at Penn State will want to take advantage of include on-campus interviews; the various career and graduate school fairs offered annually; Nittany Lion Recruiting, an on-line job posting service; and the Employment Resources Room which contains information on various recruiting organizations, state and federal government employment, handouts about career-planning and job-search strategies. Also, the Education Credentials Service is available for students and alumni seeking teaching or administrative positions in elementary, secondary, or higher education.