Career Development Center
SGPS STUDENTS
The Career Development Center provides adult student services, including job search and career transition guidance geared toward the needs of working adults. Services and resources most helpful to GPS students include assessments of strengths and aptitudes, exploration of career paths, resume overhauls, job search guidance and employment postings. Begin with the links below to locate the information you need. When you need additional assistance, contact Career Development.
Contact a Career Advisor
Students can connect with career advisors for guidance and assistance on a variety of career planning and job search needs. For students who are not available to meet at main campus, we offer alternate modes of connecting with advisors, including phone, email, and video conferencing. Please contact us if you need information or assistance.
Career Development Center
mvnu.career@mvnu.edu
740-397-9000, ext. 4618
Thorne Library/Main Campus
Explore Careers
The careers that fit you best are those that utilize your strongest preferences, interests and personal drive. Career Development utilizes personality and interest assessments that help you identify the best options. Once you have completed the assessments your career advisor will help you make sense of your results and your past experiences. This process will help you identify potential career paths within your field.
If you would like to take our career assessments, contact the Career Development Center. Resources for exploring occupations are listed below. These are best utilized in conjunction with assessments and direct advising.
What can I do with this Major?
Occupational Outlook Handbook is a great resource, with the most extensive entries on occupations from the U.S. Department of Labor.
O*NET is another great resource for investigating careers. It holds more entries than the Occupational Outlook Handbook but has less descriptive entries.
Occupational Information Videos are a great resource for viewing and learning about a wide variety of career fields.
Career Assessments
The careers that fit you best are those that utilize your strongest preferences, interests and personal drive. Career Development utilizes personality and interest assessments that help you identify the best options. Once you have completed the assessments your career advisor will help you make sense of your results and your past experiences. This process will help you identify potential career paths within your field.
If you would like to take our career assessments, contact the Career Development Center. These are best utilized in conjunction with assessments and direct advising.
Internships
Valued Experience
Adult students who are targeting fields in which they have little or no experience may benefit from internships. Depending on your work schedule flexibility, and the level of experience you need, an internship may be worth considering.
Securing an Internship
Many employers post internships via Handshake, where students can browse and apply (approved resumes are required to apply for positions). Internships can also be found through other internet search engines, employer websites, and career fairs. Visit Job Search Resources below for more information and access to internship postings.
Resume and Cover Letter Writing
Writing Your Document
All students should utilize accepted formats and approaches for creating effective resumes and cover letters. If you have never created a professional-level resume or cover letter, and need help getting started, you can utilize a Resume and Cover Letter Writing Guide to create and help develop your content prior to meeting with an advisor. For guidance on updating and enhancing resumes, review the advanced sections found in the guide. Career advisors are available to help you with this process.
Resume and Cover Letter Reviews
If you are preparing to apply for positions and need to have your resume or cover letters reviewed, please make an appointment via email, and send your documents as an attachment. We also recommend you review a Resume and Cover Letter Writing Guide. Your time might be much better utilized if you can incorporate the guidance from our booklet prior to your meeting. Please also bring a paper copy of your resume to your appointment.
Job Search Resources
HANDSHAKE
Handshake is our centralized system for job and internship postings for students and alumni. Users can also upload resumes for review, and when required for the job application process. Handshake houses hundreds of postings by employers around Central Ohio and beyond. These employers are specifically seeking students and graduates for their openings.
Click here to access Handshake and follow the instructions to create a profile and begin using the system.
JOB SEARCH RESOURCES
LinkedIn is a must for anyone who is planning to launch a career or is already engaged in a job search. It provides a means to promote your personal brand to employers and is a vital source for networking and employment research.
If you have questions or need further information, please contact Career Development.
Student Employment
For student employment opportunities on-campus, please click here.
Additional internet resources for job seekers:
- Ohio Means Jobs – Job listings and resources for job seekers provided by the state of Ohio
- indeed.com – An online job search engine that lets you search by keyword, location, and other criteria
- simplyhired.com – Another online job search engine that lets you search by keyword, location, and other criteria
- careerbuilder.com – Another national job search resource
- dispatchjobs.com – Job listings for the greater Columbus area
- careers.ohio.gov – A database of government jobs for the state of Ohio
- usajobs.gov – A database of government jobs for the federal government
- Employers by Major – a unique resource that students and professionals can use to identify, research, and network with thousands of prospective employers, anywhere across the U.S.
- idealist.org – A site that lists nonprofit jobs and internships
Interview Preparation
Being prepared to interview at the professional level is paramount to landing a job. The resources below will help guide you through this process, and provide opportunities for practice. You may also schedule a mock interview with a career advisor by contacting Career Development.
Career Events and Programs
Recruiting Events
Mount Vernon Nazarene University participates in annual and bi-annual career fairs, including those listed below. Click the links below for more information.
Ashland University Career Fair (fall and spring semesters)