Attending college can be scary, especially if you don’t know exactly what you want to do in the future. If you are struggling to decide on a major, career path, or want to develop your networking skills, you’re not alone. The Career Center can guide you in the right direction.
On Tuesday, November 12, the Career Center will be hosting Career Chats, an event in which alumni, employers, and students come together to network and explore different majors and career choices.
During Career Chats, you’ll connect with professionals who can provide guidance and input on both career and major path options. You’ll have an opportunity to meet members of student organizations to explore your interests through on-campus involvement. Career Chats allows you to network with others and be able to transfer your skills and connections both while attending college and in the future.
Coordinator of Career & Curriculum Development Hope Miller has been organizing this program for the past year. “This is a great event for students that are in Stage 1: Explore of the Keys to Academic and Career Success. Students will have the opportunity to interact with professionals and their peers to learn about many career paths. Many students believe that majors are directly related to careers. While there are a few majors with direct career paths, we hope that by attending Career Chats and networking with all the representatives, students learn that the career process is not necessarily linear.”
Rachel Kumlien, a sophomore at Illinois State University, reflects on her experience at Career Chats. “I liked that I was able to talk one on one with alumni that were in my field. They helped me gain a new perspective on where I wanted to go after I graduated. I was able to learn how to properly network with professionals in my field and peers. This helped me further develop my personal brand.”
Meryl Brown ‘06, music therapist and business owner, attended a Career Chats event. Brown spoke on why she appreciates attending events like Career Chats.
“My favorite part of Career Chats is the same reason why I decided to attend: Meeting the students, meeting our future, and being able to talk to people who may not know what they want. I ultimately want to help guide them into a better place,” she said.
Career Chats, held in the Bone Student Center Brown Ballroom, takes place from 4–7 p.m. Registration is required for this event. For more information about the event or to learn how to participate, volunteer, or attend, contact the Career Center.
The Career Center supports Illinois State University’s Educate●Connect●Elevate strategic plan by assisting students with developing, evaluating and/or implementing career, education, and employment decisions.
This was so helpful! Thank you Sabrina.