Career Center ready to help students virtually

The Career Center is still checking resumes, practicing virtual interviews and assisting in the search for jobs

By Kyle Hobstetter on April 2, 2020

Illustration of an online interview

With the spring semester in full swing, the Towson University Career Center was ready for its biggest event of the year. 

Planning was well underway for the Spring Mega Job and Internship Fair, which was supposed to take place on Friday, March 27. The event annually brings in more than 200 different potential employers to meet in-person with Towson University students and alumni.

But unfortunately, the Career Center had to cancel not only the Career and Internship fair, but all of its planned events and programs for the spring. That’s because Towson University canceled all on-campus events for the rest of the term, in an effort to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. 

The Career Center is still finding ways to help students start their careers, get an internship and how to search for a job in this uncertain time. 

Instead of meeting with students face-to-face, the Career Center staff is helping students virtually. 

“As the campus responds to COVID-19 crisis, the TU Career Center is continuing to keep students’ career and professional development needs front and center,” says Lorie Logan-Bennett, assistant vice president of Career Services. “The world has embraced the offering of services and support virtually and so have we.”

The Career Center and Handshake - a free, online job and internship database that offers recruiting services for students, alumni, employers, faculty and staff- remain available to the TU community. Virtual resources available to students include: 

  • In lieu of in-person Express Hours, students can have their resumes and cover letters reviewed by submitting Word documents (.doc, .docx) to expresshours@towson.edu.
  • All appointment types – including job/internship search, mock interviews, career counseling, LinkedIn/networking, graduate school application process, etc. – are available virtually. Students can schedule a virtual appointment via Handshake.
  • Employers are continuing to post job and internship positions via Handshake; students should plan to login regularly to stay up-to-date on the latest opportunities.
  • Have a quick career-related question? Go to the Career Center website and use the online chat feature available during remote office hours Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for assistance.

Students are also able to take advantage of the Career Center’s Career Communities, which provides students a dedicated career coach and external relations coordinator to prepare them for careers in their chosen professions.  

There are currently four Career Communities, including the STEM Career Community, the Media, Arts and Communication Career Community, the Health and Wellness Career Community and the Exploration Career Community.

Career coaches are currently holding virtual meetings with students, and acting as a sounding board for students doing job searches during the pandemic.

“I’m having much longer conversations with students than I normally do,” laughs Marcy Lightfoot, the career coach for the Media, Arts and Communication Career Community. “But I want students to know the Career Center is a resource that’s here for them during this time of anxiety.”

One of the main tips that Career Coaches are giving students is to stay prepared. That means perfecting their cover letters and resumes. They also recommend practicing video and phone interviews, and are even offering students a practice interview with either the career coach or another Career Center staff member.

They also recommend doing informational interviews, which means talking with someone who has a career they’re interested in, or reaching out to a company for which they want to work.

“Planning is important when you’re looking for a job, especially right now,” says Sara Harrison, the career coach for the Health and Wellness Career Community. “Accessing resources and getting your materials prepared is going to help you in the long run. The interview process is going to be hard, so reach out for help.”

The Career Center is also helping students contact potential mentors, who have been in their shoes.

This spring, the Career Center introduced the Tiger Mentor Network, which allows students to learn and get advice from a “Career Mentor” who is a TU alumni that is currently working in their desired field.

So not only does the Tiger Mentor Network help students with career development and their job/internship search, it also helps TU build a network of professional contacts.

“One of the main things I’m telling our students is to work on their networking,” Lightfoot says. “When it comes down to it, 70-80% of jobs are found through networking. So, keep nurturing those relationships, because those who have done that are going to in much better position when things get back to normal. 

Lightfoot and Harrison agree that the worst thing a student looking for jobs and internships can do right now is nothing at all.

“Don’t wait to start the process,” Harrison says. “It may feel overwhelming and daunting right now, but waiting until this is over, or for a different time, is not recommended.” 

While both Lightfoot and Harrison are excited they can still help students virtually, they miss students just dropping in to their office. 

So now they are waiting for the fall academic term knowing there will be a lot of catch up.

“When we get back on campus, we’re ready to rev back up and bring things back up we planned on doing this spring,” Lightfoot says. “I can’t wait to step right back into it and offer some of the amazing programs we wanted to do. We have some good ones coming this fall.”

To stay current with all the opportunities offered at the Career Center, follow their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel’s priorities for Towson University: Lifelong Career Center.