Career Services meets with students to offer resources for career plans

Kimberly Norville shares the resources that Career Services has to offer with Augusta University students in University on Tuesday, Oct. 25. (photo by Aaron Smith)

By Aaron Smith | Staff writer

Career Services held an event to offer support to Augusta University students looking to change their major or career path on Tuesday, Oct. 25 in University Hall.

Reports indicate that many college students in the United States change their major at least once throughout their college education, and students at AU are no different. Many students are stressed or unsure about their major or future career path, and Career Services offers solutions to students manage their options.

Kimberly Norville, a career consultant in the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences and the College of Education and Human Development, detailed some of the benefits that career services offer to students.

“Obviously, everyone thinks of Career Services when it comes to job searching, but that’s only one small thing that we do,” she said. “We also obviously help with cover letters, resumes, interviewing tips, networking tips and even grad school, so there are lots of things we can do for students.”

Some of the services that Career Services provide include O-net Online and Interest Profiler. Norville said these are great resources for students looking for help with career exploration.

“O-net Online is a great place to start looking for opportunities,” Norville said. “But an Interest Profiler also shows you jobs you might be interested in. It’ll give you detailed information like job titles, current job openings, projected futures for particular jobs, salary ranges and other things to consider."

When deciding to change your major or career path, Norville said that students should take a step back to consider their interests.

“Some students are possibly looking at changing their major, while others are looking at what does this actually mean for their career path, and because of that, it’s a good thing to go all the way back to the beginning and assess who you are and what you like,” she said.

Career Services offers a variety of self-assessments including, Traitify, Focus2 and Steppingblocks for students that are already paid for through their tuition. Norville said it offers several benefits for students looking for clarity on the right career path.

“These assessments can help you figure out who you really are,” Norville said. “It also helps you know if you’re in the right place with your major, or if you’re happy but you don’t actually want to do what everyone else does, then the next step is to explore what you want to do.”

According to Norville, it is important for students to research their options as far as majors or career paths.

“If you’re looking at changing your major, make sure you have fully researched what that means,” she said. “If you’re majoring in psychology and you want to be a counselor, you’re going to have to have a master’s degree, so looking at what the additional school requirements are or the requirements to practice this particular job is helpful in deciding what to do.”

Norville also said students should not be afraid to get out and try new things.

“We can give resources of people to call and talk to, but it’s also good to choose student activities,” Norville said. “Maybe you’re only taking two classes in a new major, but then also get involved in the clubs with that new major or other student activities so you can really see if it fits you better, but if it doesn’t work, who cares. It’s okay to change your major.”

Contact Aaron Smith at madsmith@augusta.edu.