Career Development initiatives help students reach their goals

The Office of Career Development helps students reach their career goals by assisting them with selecting majors and minors, exploring career options, applying for internships and implementing successful job searches.

For the spring 2017 semester, Career Development is focusing on increasing foot traffic to its offices and sponsoring several new and ongoing initiatives that are open to all students, including:

Walk-in Wednesdays: Students who need help building a resume, choosing a major, finding a job or internship or applying to graduate school can stop by the office, located in the Walgreen Hall administrative wing, each Wednesday between noon and 4 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

“This has been very well received,” said Michael Wisnewski, director of career development. “In the first three weeks of the semester we saw more walk-in traffic than we did all of last term.”

Career Trek: Students from all class levels and majors are invited to visit Alex and Ani’s headquarters in Cranston on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Participants will gain an inside perspective on the company’s organization and operations and meet with managers and hiring staff from various departments. Van transportation will be provided and pre-registration is required.

Career Connections Night: Co-sponsored by the Student Nursing Organization, the evening will focus on careers in health care and is ideal for students majoring in health care administration and management, nursing and the sciences. Several alumni are scheduled to attend, including Christa Durand ’92, president of Newport Hospital. Career Connections Night will be held Wednesday, March 8 in Ochre Court.

More information on these and other programs is available in CareerHub, which provides resources and services to help students plan their careers and find employment opportunities.

The office was recently brought under the umbrella of Student Affairs, allowing Career Development to interact with fellow student-centered offices such as the Center for Student Development and Residence Life. “This is where I think we can have the biggest impact,” Wisnewski said. “We’re keeping our lines of communication strong and focused, and we’re getting in front of a lot of students.”