Miami Middletown offering new method to help students find their career

Miami University Middletown students with career questions can now find the answers in one location thanks to a new career resource center unveiled on the school’s campus this week.

The recently renovated space in the school’s Johnston Hall was the focus of a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday as Miami Middletown school officials showed off the campus’ new William & Patricia Schaefer Career Services Suite.

Locating the suite of offices for career specialists - now at the ready to assist students – in the building’s front lobby was no coincidence, said Cathy Bishop-Clark, associate provost and dean of Miami regionals.

“We are very deliberately here,” Bishop-Clark told the more than three dozen invited guests to the opening ceremony in Johnston Hall’s main entrance.

“We want students walking in the door and we want students thinking right away about a career. We want them thinking as a freshman and walking in the door to start working on networking and start working on that resume,” she said.

Krissy Smith, regional assistant director for the office of career services & professional development, echoed the philosophy behind creating the regional school’s first, one-stop shop for all things career-related for students.

“This is where students will come when they want to talk about their career. They can be a first-year, first-semester student who is unsure of their major and we will we talk to them about planning,” said Smith as she walked through the new suite’s series of offices for career specialists, rooms for visiting businesses to conduct job interviews and a learning conference room for teaching career skills.

“When they are ready to do an internship, we are here to help them find internships that match their career goals. And we’re also here to help with resumes, cover letters, interview practice and all that good stuff,” she said.

The office more than doubles the previous office spaces made available to Miami Middletown students seeking career guidance, she said.

One of the new career office’s first customers will be senior business major Austin Philpot, who looked around and said “these facilities are amazing.”

“Having one, total space is a huge benefit for students. This is a great step in the right direction,” said Philpot.

Rick Pearce, president and CEO for The Chamber of Commerce Serving Middletown, Monroe and Trenton, watched the new office opening and afterwards said “what my role needs to be now is to help communicate to our members (businesses) the career services center is now here.”

“We can now work more closely to make a bridge rather quickly from kids who might be graduating to current positions they (businesses) may have open,” said Pearce.

About the Author