Jasmine Soria
Staff Writer
Students fell head over heels at the Fall in Love with the Office of Academic Advising and the Career Center workshop Tuesday.
They learned about the resources available, networked with other students, used their degree tracker and found job opportunities through Handshake, a website for college students looking for career opportunities.
The workshop served as an official merging of the Woody Hall Advising team and the Career Center. They will now work together to provide a safe space for all things career and academic.
“I think we officially merged the Woody Hall advising team over to the career center,” Amanda Miller, director of academic and career advising, said. “We want students to get to meet up and know where we’re at, and it’s a way for students to come into our area as well.”
Students could network with others and speak to advisers or simply get to know them better. For Valentine’s Day, the office provided sweet treats, candy, snacks, and all participating students were entered in a raffle.
The workshop discussed how helpful Handshake is, especially for juniors and seniors seeking internship opportunities. Handshake allows students to create profiles related to their careers. This includes extracurricular activities, work experience, awards, and a resume.
The page is then viewable to job recruiters and La Verne alumni. Handshake has partnered with the Office of Academic Advising and Career Center to inform students about future job opportunities.
“It’s nice to see what they have to offer. They have a lot of stuff,” Michael Orduna, senior math major, said. “This is my fourth year, and I’ve never contacted the career center.”
The Office of Academic Advising and Career Center helps students create goals while discovering more about their education, future career path and discussing the steps they should take to get there.
“Hopefully, students can see the connection between their careers, their major and the curriculum, the educational experience as a whole, and how they all integrate together as a unified team,” Carlos Cervantes, dean of Academic and Career Success, said.
The center guides students, giving them the knowledge and resources, but they make decisions regarding their careers. Along with learning to decide what is best for them and their future.
The degree tracker is another great tool for students to see how many credits they have and need to graduate. It provides a clear picture of the classes they need to take, even if they plan to switch their majors using the What-If feature.
“I think these events are really helpful for people that are also switching majors or careers, so they know there is a path for them,” Yuliana Baeza, sophomore chemistry major, said. “They should know there are people to help.”
The next workshop is the Resume Workshop for Graduate Students: Impressing Employers with Your Resume. It will be held from noon to 12:45 p.m. Feb. 28 via Zoom.
To register and learn more, visit joinhandshake.com.
Jasmine Soria can be reached at jasmine.soria@laverne.edu.
Jasmine Soria, a junior broadcast journalism major, is a staff writer for the Campus Times.
