Kicking off ‘Career Kickstart’

Graduation is years away for many students, but it’s never too early to think about what comes next.

That’s where Career Kickstart — introduced in fall 2015 — comes in. It offers a head start for those thinking beyond the diploma. Available to students who have completed their first year, Ogg Residence Hall will provide tools for those eager to work on career preparation.

The new program was created to answer the requests of students looking for more career preparation earlier in their college experience.

“We want to contribute to students’ career development process,” says Cal Bergman, associate director of residence life.

Career Kickstart offers on-site academic and career advising; access to employers, alumni and resources on campus; information on how to land an internship or job; and resume and interview development.

The program is part of the Letters & Science Career Initiative, which was recently launched by College of L&S Dean John Karl Scholz. The initiative is creating a new, transformational career services model that ensures all L&S undergraduates are engaged early in the career development process.

“This also helps undergraduates better articulate the value that they are gaining as liberal arts students,” Bergman says. “It helps connect the dots between the liberal arts and a career.”

The idea for the program at Ogg came after University Housing heard about the L&S Career Initiative, says Jon Cleveland, assistant director of career education for the L&S Career Initiative. “This has created a one-of-a-kind opportunity for students that choose to live in University Housing after their first year of college,” Cleveland says. “Students are going to walk away from the year in Ogg feeling more confident about where they’re headed professionally and have a plan to meet those goals.”