The ACU Career Center provides resources to help students find interesting job fields, develop academic abilities and gain experience to be successful.
Cynthia Cooke is the career development manager of ACU’s Career Center, where she assists students by guiding their career paths. After students select a field, she helps them with career preparation and locating internships. When seniors are about to graduate, she helps with their professional communication, which includes writing resumes, cover letters, and confidently interviewing for jobs.
Cooke believes it’s best to start early, freshmen can gain insight by attending the Career Center’s Discovery Program. The Discovery Program is a five-week session that takes place multiple times each semester. It helps students find good-fit career paths by either confirming or selecting a major. The Career Center also offers psychological assessments for students to learn about their individual personalities, interests and talents.
“There are some things that we can train ourselves to do or work hard to learn how to do, but it’s usually better just to find things to do that come naturally to you,” Cooke said.
ACU Career Center professionals encourage students to gain experience from a variety of things to prepare for any job they are offered after graduation. Besides internships, students’ volunteer experiences and leadership positions in student activities contribute to developing skills as well.
“One of the things that students need to value are the things you may not have been paid to do,” Cooke said.
Rachel Elam, office manager of the Career Center, said that about 90 students have had individual appointments this semester, and 175 have signed up for the Discovery Program. Another session of the program will be open to students on Nov. 2.
Students pay a fee of $50 for the discovery program that includes a series of personality assessments and a one-hour session with a licensed counselor.
Daniel Orozco, associate director of the Career Center, said that at ACU resources are more available to students than at larger universities like Texas A&M because a smaller campus allows him to see students more often.
“I could meet with students at Texas A&M once or twice a semester, but it’s different here. I can see students multiple times a semester and visit with them regularly,” Orozco said.
Brittany Partridge, sophomore political science and history major from Annandale, Minn., said she went to the Career Center twice and met with Orozco four times in the library to prepare a resume. She said while she was completing an internship abroad in Amsterdam, Holland, Orozco sent her encouraging Facebook messages.
