Career Services – Summit City Observer

Career Services is an organization at Purdue University Fort Wayne that supports students and alumni to reach their career goals by providing opportunities to connect with employers through their high-quality programs and events.

“The vision statement for career services is to be recognized nationally for its service throughout the Midwest,” Courtney Sullivan, a counselor at Career Services, said. “We will be an innovative leader in educating, developing and connecting our university and the communities we serve.”

Career Services’s most important event happens once a semester, the Mastodon Job and Internship Fair, where students get the opportunity to build a network and market themselves in the workforce.

This year the fair will take place March 14 at the Lutheran Fieldhouse on Purdue Fort Wayne’s campus.

Career Services also administers Handshake, a platform that Sullivan said is very useful for students who are looking for job opportunities.

“We can see our students make appointments,” Sullivan said. “We have jobs posted every week, so every Tuesday we send out emails to students through handshake about different jobs in their career field.”

Sullivan talked about other events that happen more often like the Lunch & Learn’s and the Immersion Excursion.

“Immersion excursion is where you actually go to the employer. They will sometimes do a tour where you get to ask them questions. The Lunch and Learn’s are when the employer comes to campus,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan described the Career Services website as very informative for students. It has many templates for important documents that a student might need when looking for a job.

“Our website has a sample resume, how to write a cover letter, and interviewing strategies,” Sullivan said. “Also, you can look at ‘What can I do with my major?’”

Career Services has an Endorsed Program, which Sullivan said was not as rushed as other services they offer.

“Based on the test that you complete, you get points, and after you get so many points you’ve completed the program,” Sullivan said.“You get a certificate and then you get a recommendation from our office on LinkedIn.”

For more information about Career Services, call 260-481-0689 or visit their website at pfw.edu/career.

Photo Credit: Kathleen Le

After graduating college, the newest challenge to take on is getting interviews and obtaining a job. Students at IPFW have sources on campus that are more personal than surfing the web. Career Services provides a number of outlets and services that are accessible to both students and alumni.

Once an interview has been set up with a company the first thing that should be done is research of company, according to Kayla Klimasko, a career counselor at IPFW Career Services.

“One of the big things that I think students especially need to work on is the research that they need to do on the company before going to the interview,” Klimasko said. “A lot of companies are going to ask you specific questions about why you want to work for that company or why you are interested in that specific position.”

By researching the company, you can find out what the company is looking for and if you would be a good fit, as well as if you would like to work there. It is important to look into the company’s values, expectations and the qualifications and duties that are required, Klimasko said. This way you will be able to be sure that your answers are relevant to the position, Klimasko said.

In addition to researching the company, you should also come up with some questions of your own to ask your interviewer. Klimasko recommends trying to tailor your questions to the company and position by using the research you have done on the company.

Another suggestion Kilmasko has is to do a practice interview with someone, which is a service that IPFW Career Services provides. Mock interviews are a good way to prepare and calm your nerves before an interview since it is in a nonjudgmental environment, Klimasko said.

“We are able to tailor the questions to a specific major or a specific position if we know ahead of time what it is that you are going to interview for.” Klimasko said.

Another reason for doing a mock interview is to monitor body language and personality. It is beneficial to have another person to tell you if you are fidgeting too much, slouching or answering the questions in a manner that doesn’t come across as genuine because of nervousness, Klimasko said.

“I think a big thing to remember is your personality is something that they are judging,” Klimasko said. “I think a lot of people get wrapped up in making sure they’re answering the questions properly, but they’re not always authentic in that answer.”

The last thing to consider before going to an interview is what you should bring with you to the interview and what to wear.

“In the career services basically I just did like a mock type of interview,” Brett Gauger, an IPFW student, said. “I dressed up, and I brought my résumé and a cover letter for the job interview that I took.”

“They do everything, just like it would be like [in] a regular interview,” Gauger said.

Career Services can check over résumés, Gauger said. They also give advice for how to dress for your interview.

Kilmasko said, “There’s a saying you may have heard of, dress for the job you want, not the job you have and its kind of cliché, but it is true. It is better to be over prepared in any situation than underprepared.”

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