Undergraduate students, especially freshmen, are beginning to get more involved with Career Services earlier in their college career and are showing growing interest in making connections in the job market.
  “I would say within the last two to three years I have seen an increase in freshmen coming to the Expo,” said Arronza Azard, assistant director of career services, at the annual Career Expo in the PMAC Sept. 14.
More than 100 freshmen have attended the Career Expo each year since 2008. The number of freshmen using other services from Career Services has increased from 333 freshmen using Career Services in the 2007-2008 school year to 387 using Career Services in 2008-2009 year and 356 in the 2009-2010 school year.
“I have had several freshmen come by. They seemed very eager and pretty much know what they are interested in already so I have been impressed with the ones that I’ve met,” said Denise Harrell, director of admissions for Webster University at the Expo.
The increased number of freshman getting involved in Career Services earlier on in their college career may have a lot to do with the current economy and the increasing difficulty in getting a job after graduation.
“I think that’s probably part of it. I think their looking for opportunities and starting early so they don’t have to rush when they become juniors and seniors,” said Josh Dunn, a representative from Sherwin Williams.
According to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 24.4 percent of 2010 graduates who applied for jobs actually got the job. Last year only 19.7 percent of graduates got the jobs they applied for. In 2007 51 percent of graduates got the job they applied for after graduation.
“It seems like maybe the economy is helping them think more proactively about their careers which is positive,” said Bethany Cooper, director of corporate relations and MBA Services for the University of Mississippi.
“I think it’s really good when students come to Career Services as a freshman because we can help them learn a lot of the skills that they’ll need in order to be prepared when it’s time for graduation. It’s also good for them to come to the Expo because they have an opportunity to network and start meeting different employers and see what employers are looking for,” said Azard.
“As a freshman you hear about so many different services, but Career Services seem to be one of the more important ones,” said Danny Marx a freshman who attended the recent Career Expo. “Why not take advantage of free tools that are offered,” said Marx.
Career Services offers several services for freshmen. One program, the Choosing a Major Workshop, helps guide students through the process of choosing the major that is right for them. Another program called the Strong Interest Inventory Group Interpretations measures your interest in a broad range of occupations, work activities, leisure activities, and school subjects. This will help students choose a career in an area that interest them. Students can RSVP for both of these programs through Careers 2 Geaux.
Career Services’ Employment Center is located in Patrick F. Taylor Hall and Student Services is located in Coates Hall.
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Helpful Links:
http://appl003.lsu.edu/slas/career/careerweb.nsf/index
https://lsu-csm.symplicity.com/students/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/13/freshmen-waste-no-time-in_n_714271.html