Career Development Services for Working Adult Students
Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s Career Development Center provides job search and career transition guidance geared toward the needs of our working adult students. Our center’s services and resources factor in the various interests of those wanting to start, change, or advance their career. Through online and in-person appointments:
- Get your strengths and aptitudes assessed
- Explore different career paths related to your field of study
- Discuss how your previous education and work experience can help you reach your career goals
- Work with seasoned career guidance professionals for overhauling your resume and targeting your job search
- Browse a range of employment postings.
Begin with the links below to locate the information you need.
The Benefits of Career Development Services for Working Adult Students
Traditionally, colleges and universities have geared their career and professional development centers toward full-time on-campus students. These individuals, while driven, don’t always have a clear end goal in mind and utilize these centers to explore their options, access resume help and job interview prep, and don’t usually have a significant amount of work experience under their belt. At the same time, many haven’t started families and, due to multiple generations attending college, can already tap into a robust social network for professional advancement.
As colleges’ student populations become more diverse, with more working adults returning to earn or finish a degree, career development services have evolved. Although the core group of offerings remain, advisors are starting to realize that working adult students bring with them a range of experiences — many of which prove to be valuable in their future job searchers — but face different obstacles. Many work full-time to support a family while attending online classes part time. Others are the first in their families to pursue a bachelor’s degree, or they are looking to enter an industry in which they have few professional contacts. Certain working adult students may already have a bachelor’s and want to boost their existing opportunities with a master’s.
With these factors in mind, MVNU’s Career Development Center angles our services toward working adult students wanting to get ahead:
- Career exploration doesn’t just factor in what you want to do. In meeting with an advisor, you can see how your past experiences and current education can help you reach that next stage.
- Because you have likely already put together several cover letters and resumes, our team helps you improve these documents to make a stronger impression.
- We discuss internships from the perspective of entering a particular industry and translating that opportunity into a full-time role down the road.
- Because many working adults returning to school already know what they want to do, career guidance focuses on developing a plan to get there.
- Especially as MVNU’s School of Graduate & Professional Studies (GPS) focuses on market-ready degree programs, the Career Development Center helps students stay abreast of changing industry trends and demands, ensuring their skills remain relevant upon graduation.
- Advisors often serve as the bridge between your education and future job opportunities, setting you up with Handshake — a job search tool for college students — and discussing methods for building your professional network.
- GPS students don’t have to come to campus to access the Career Development Center. Instead, advisors are available for appointments over phone, video conferencing, and email.
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