Career Development
Find your calling and chart your path to a fulfilling career
A primary goal for students in college is to make the transition into professional life. This involves more than acquiring a degree, and it starts much earlier than the end of your senior year. You will need to make informed decisions about majors, career options, and obtain the kind of experience that will prepare you to enter your field. You will also need to know how to effectively conduct a job search. Career Development is here to help you navigate these processes with one-on-one advising, career programs, and numerous resources. Begin with the links below to locate the information you need. For additional assistance contact Career Development.
Meet with a career advisor
Students can meet with career advisors for guidance and assistance on a variety of career planning and job search needs. To schedule an appointment use the contact information below. You may email, call, or stop in to set your appointment.
We also offer drop-in hours each week for quick questions on a first-come, first-serve basis. Watch for our emails announcing the dates and times.
Career Development Center
MVNU.Career@mvnu.edu
740-397-9000, ext. 4618
Thorne Library/LRC, First Floor
Explore Majors and 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 guide you as you explore occupational information resources, and determine a suitable major, or specific career path within your field.
If you would like to take our career assessments, contact the Career Development Center for an appointment. 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.
Internships
Valued Experience
Internships provide practical field experience with real employers and help prepare students for their profession. They typically last for a semester or a summer. MVNU encourages all students to acquire field experience related to their majors and career goals, in order to be competitive for jobs in their field. Career Development is a vital resource for students interested in learning about, preparing for and participating in internship opportunities.
Field Experience for Your Major
Some MVNU majors include field placements (coordinated by faculty) as a required component of the program of study. Other majors may provide academic credit for students who choose to participate in internships on their own. A career advisor can help you get answers about how the process will work for your major, and whether you can take an internship for credit. With or without academic credit, internships provide valuable resume-building experience.
Securing an Internship
Most students who participate in internships do so during their junior and senior years. The Career Development Center does not "place" students with employers but guides them in the process of preparing for, searching, and applying for internship opportunities. Students must take personal ownership and initiative with their internship search. Employers are inclined to hire students who show themselves to be quality candidates. Students who are not ready for the process of securing an internship will be advised on how to improve and develop themselves so they will provide a positive experience for employers associated with MVNU.
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 the Resume and Cover Letter Writing Guide to 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 the 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 mvnu.career@mvnu.edu
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 mvnu.career@mvnu.edu
If you have questions or need further information, please contact Career Development mvnu.career@mvnu.edu.
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)
Student Programs
Some of the regular programs offered each year may include networking programs, major exploration fairs, and mock interview sessions (for participating academic departments).
Help sessions are also scheduled each semester. Topics include choosing majors, exploring careers, internships, resumes, networking, preparing for career fairs, interviews, and job searches.
The Career Development Center sends regular emails to alert students about these opportunities. For information on upcoming events contact Career Development.