Positions now filled at Career Services

New staff plans senior outreach

After some significant staff turnover last year, Career Services is up and running. The center has a few new faces this year helping students plan life after Oberlin, but traffic has been heavy.

Last year Lanna Hagge, the director of the center for 22 years, left to work at Trinity College in Connecticut.

"It was a personal decision," Wendy Smith Miller, acting director of career services, said. "She loved Oberlin. She did a lot of great things when she was in Oberlin."

Director of the Business Initiative Program Perry Boyle also left last year, retiring after nine years at the College. The program, a subset of career services, was partly funded from outside sources.

"I'm here to say that career services is alive and well. We are actively working with students and especially seniors," Miller said.

The new staff consists of Teri Bump and Jan Burton as career advisors. Bump started working in June and is focusing on minority outreach and alumni programs. Burton will begin her one-year appointment Monday.

"We're really excited to have her," Miller said.

Although Boyle's position has not yet been filled, Miller said the center is still meeting the objectives of the Business Initiatives Program.

"There will be a search for a director of the program this fall," Miller said.

She also added that a formal search will be employed this fall for the position of director of career services. "Ideally, decisions will be made by the end of the fall semester," Miller said.

Miller stressed that the office is running smoothly despite the turnover in personnel. "We are actually very organized and ready to go," she said.

Career Services has started a number of new programs this year, including an updated and expanded web-page with information for seniors. The Career Services Office has also planned for alumni guests to provide information about the workplace and various occupations.

"I have implemented a senior campaign encouraging early registration with our office," Miller said. "We've been really swamped. Already 40 students have come in and registered with us. We are getting a lot of traffic, which is good."

Career Services is currently attempting to increase its visibility and credibility on campus. Staff members distributed packets containing information for seniors about Career Services this fall. Three main events are planned for seniors in an attempt to link seniors to employers: senior interview day, on-campus recruiting and resumé referral.

Miller said the programs do not cover the needs of all students, but Career Services is eager to accommodate any needs of the students that it can.

"We work with each student to develop a personalized plan," Miller said.