Career Services is supporting students in new ways since the addition of a fee in spring 2018. 

Students attending the main campus were charged $6 per credit hour, capped at 12 credit hours per semester, for a total of $72.00 a semester.

Regional campus students were charged $3.60 a credit hour, also capped at 12 credit hours per semester, for a total of $43.20 a semester.

In the past year, Career Services gave out nearly $250,000 in scholarships to help students who are working at unpaid internships. 

“We reach out through email, and they do have to apply,” said Kristin Williams, executive director of Career Exploration and Development. “A lot of students aren’t applying but we want to give out the money, it is just a ten-minute application process.” 

To be eligible for the scholarship students must be taking the internship for credit and it must be unpaid. If they are eligible they will receive an email from Career Services with the application.

Senior athletic training major Anne Paquette said, “I received the email from them and the application took no time at all to fill out. I didn’t meet the requirements fully but I thought it was worth applying.”

Williams said the fee also helps enhance previously offered services. Since the addition of the fee, Career Services has expanded its staff to be more available around campus to students. 

Madison King, a junior clinical psychology major, said, “I don’t mind paying the fee. Especially since it is helping students with scholarships.” 

Career advisors can specialize more in a specific industry. They know more about the specific roles within the different industries. They now have career advisors in White Hall, the Center for Undergraduate Excellence, Cartwright Hall and many other buildings.

“Being more accessible to students in the buildings with a lot of foot traffic so that way they can get help without having to come to the Schwartz center,” Williams said.

Drop-in hours and locations can be found on the Career Services website. 

“Career Services drop-in hours are at inconvenient times and they don’t advertise well. I think they could be helpful but they need to let us know more about them,” Paquette said.

More than 100 students so far have participated in the Flashternships. There is an incentive for participating. Students receive $50 FLASHcash with a cap of $250.

“We have added a program called Flashternships. A program that allows freshman and sophomore level students to go job shadow for a day,” Williams said. “This was inspired by a conversation with FedEx. We know them for delivery but don’t know the behind them.”

With the fee came the switch from Flash@Work to Handshake. According to Williams, Handshake is light years ahead of other systems. 

“I’d like to see more in-person stuff but the online resources are great,” Paquette said.

Williams said when using Flash@Work they were only able to post around 10,000 jobs to students and last year with Handshake they were able to post more than  68,000. 

“When I got my on-campus job I used Flash@Work but Handshake is much better. I’ve been using it to help look for a job within my major,” King said.

Williams wants students to see Career Services as a process, not just a one-time visit. 

“We are starting to see that shift from junior and senior students to seeing more freshmen and sophomores using our services,” Williams said.

Emily Walters is a Jobs and Money reporter. Contact her at [email protected].