Want to craft a better résumé? Or, need a professional outfit for an internship interview?
Kent State University students and alumni can find assistance for these, as well as other important job and internship resources, in Kent State's Career Exploration and Development office.
“Career Exploration and Development is really here to support the entire life cycle of career readiness,” Justin Edwards, senior director of Career Exploration and Development, told Kent State Today. “From students who start exploratory and are picking a major through finding an internship, and then finding full-time work in the future, our team supports students all along that path, including alumni after graduation.”
Kent State has a demonstrated track record of preparing students for job placement after graduation. Kent State Today is highlighting resources that showcase the university’s longstanding commitment to helping students succeed.
In recent years, 93% of bachelor’s degree recipients secured employment or continued their education within 12 months of graduation.
Located inside the Center for Undergraduate Excellence, Career Exploration and Development staff assist students in a variety of ways – from crafting résumés, to mock job interviews, to networking and LinkedIn tips. The office works with about 10,000 students each year, Edwards said.
Staff members also host career fairs, he said.
“Kent State University has over 50 career events every year,” Edwards said. “We tend to have over 500 employer partners coming here to recruit as well.”
Another key resource is Handshake, where students can find and apply for on-campus employment.
“Students have a Handshake account as soon as they're accepted to Kent State; they just have to jump in and claim that, and then build it out, kind of like a Facebook or a LinkedIn profile,” Edwards said.
Career Exploration and Development also offers a free Career Closet, where students can select donated, gently used professional clothing. The office also provides free professional headshots.
“It’s really easy to walk into our office and get support Monday through Friday,” Edwards said. “We have drop-in hours every day, and then we also have the appointments that are scheduled in KSU Navigate.”
Part of the reason students have such success finding positions after they graduate is Kent State’s robust alumni community, he added.
“Kent State has a wide network of alumni across thousands and thousands of companies just in Ohio,” Edwards said. “As we think about the way that students engage with those alumni, we teach them to use LinkedIn and network effectively, but we also do a lot of work to ensure that as we're recruiting companies to come to campus, we have those connection points with our alumni in those different spaces."
Alumni can continue accessing Career Exploration and Development's tools, like career advising, the Career Closet and career fairs, no matter how long it’s been since they graduated – an option unique to Kent State, Edwards added.
“Alumni access to career services is not the given across the state of Ohio, certainly,” Edwards said. “We really pride ourselves in the fact that those alumni can continue to work with our team forever.”
Staff members can assist alumni who may be looking for a new job or transitioning careers entirely, he said.
“Alumni who engage with career advising can get support with their interview skills, making sure that they're telling their story as effectively as possible,” Edwards said. “Alumni can engage with support to help pivot their résumé from some of the traditional ways we design it, to what we call a functional résumé, which might help during a career pivot.”
Kent State is nationally recognized for its student support, recently earning two Gold Excellence Awards and top grand prizes from NASPA, the nation’s leading student affairs organization.
