Career Development Center Helps Students Plan for After Graduation

Students thinking ahead to a day when they’ll be moving on from college take note: The Career Development Center (CDC), located in the Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Centennial Student Union, is ready to help you with internship and employment opportunities as well as help building resumes or applying to graduate schools. 

The CDC can also help students optimize their LinkedIn profile, practice interviewing skills, explore different majors and minors and take a career assessment if they haven’t declared a major quite yet. According to the university, 93% of graduates find employment.

“I am grateful for the Career Development Center here at MNSU because it allowed me to search for internship opportunities and I have actually landed an internship at a bank in Mankato,” said Kellonie Brissett, a third year MNSU accounting major. “I really don’t think many students realize the services that the center provides. Honestly, I wish that I would have known more about this on-campus resource my first and second years of college.”  

The center is also in charge of setting up career and internship fairs around campus and coordinating other opportunities for students with potential employers. It’s also open to MNSU alumni. 

Pam Weller, director of MNSU’S Career Development Center at MNSU, said most services and programs have been virtual because of the pandemic.

She said many CDC services can be accessed through Handshake. This is how the Career and Internship Expo fair was conducted this year. 

Third-year MNSU accounting student Aaron Velander said, “I really am thankful that I have this resource on-campus because I think it really will help me find an accounting job after I graduate. I was really shocked because they actually coordinate a lot of internship and employment opportunities in the Twin Cities area and in Rochester. I like that this school has all of the opportunities that a large metropolitan university has, but also has the small town feel to it.” 

Students are encouraged to schedule appointments via Handshake with the Career Development Center. The center is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m Monday through Friday.