Career Planning and Placement

The Career Planning and Placement Office is open to all California State University, Chico students and alumni. We offer services that help you make career decisions and the transition from college student to worker in the real world. Our purpose is to help you succeed in the highly competitive labor market. We have an excellent record of service!

We are proud to have a dedicated and highly skilled professional and clerical staff, each of whom has extensive training in specific fields.

James N. Starmer is director of the office and the placement counselor to majors in the College of Communication and Education and the School of Nursing. Office manager Linda Wimmer and staff members Flora Nunn and Julie Mattoon assist with office management.

Kathleen Bristow is the placement officer responsible for advising graduates with a liberal arts education in area and interdisciplinary programs, behavioral and social sciences, humanities, fine arts, and the sciences. She is also the Webmaster for our extensive career site.

Jodie Veale is the placement officer responsible for coordinating on-campus recruiting and for advising students in the colleges of Business, Computer Science and Engineering, and Agriculture.

Pamella Healy is the career planning counselor for students who are undeclared/undecided about choosing a major, changing majors, returning to college, or considering graduate school.

Steve Irving is the coordinator of the Student Employment Office and assists students seeking part-time employment both on and off campus during the regular school year and during the summer. There is a separate description of this office's services on page 121.

Services

Career Planning

We provide several resources to assist students in selecting majors, careers, and graduate schools. The career counselor administers and interprets career assessments, offers work- shops to facilitate career planning, instructs students in the use of computerized career guidance programs, and presents information on career planning to classes, clubs, and campus groups. We have numerous resource materials and handouts in the Career Exploration Center to assist students in identifying appropriate career goals.

Career and Employment Counseling

The professional staff offers individual and group counseling to assist all students and alumni in developing career goals, identifying methods to obtain those goals, and implementing an effective career search. We encourage you to utilize our office early in your college career so we can help you make decisions that will assist you in making the most of your college experience. You may see a counselor either at a scheduled workshop or on an individual basis.

Reference Material

We have several computers and a career library available that will facilitate your career and job search. You can access career planning assistance, occupational information, develop resumes and cover letters, and access jobs and the on-campus recruiting information at http://www.csuchico.edu/plc.

Workshops

Job offers do not spring mysteriously from uncultivated soil. We offer several workshops that nourish your career planning and job search activities. Each semester the staff conducts career assessments and delivers presentations on career exploration, participating in the on-campus recruiting program, getting a government job, resume writing, interviewing techniques, and making the most of career fairs. Information about these workshops is available on our Web page at www.csuchico.edu/plc and in our office.

On-Campus Recruiting

Approximately 200 prospective employers send recruiters to California State University, Chico's Career Planning and Placement Office each fall and spring. We encourage all interested graduating students to participate in this interviewing process because of the easy access and exposure to a variety of employers it provides. To participate, you must complete a short data form and attend an orientation workshop.

Typical entry-level jobs are in management, sales, computer science, accounting, and bank management. Remember, your first job is not your last. Once you get into a company or industry, your chances for growth are endless.

We do not advise, however, that you limit yourself to on-campus recruiting. It is smart to make as many connections as possible. Advisors are available to discuss other options for all majors.

Career Fairs

We sponsor or co-sponsor four career fairs each year to assist students seeking careers, internships, and summer employment. The CSU, Chico Career Fair is open to all majors and the business and technical industries are featured at this fair. The Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Nursing Career Fair is also open to all majors and features employers from government, private non-profits, and hospitals. The Education Career Fair is open to potential teachers and teacher alumni and features over 100 school districts. The Student Employment Career Fair is open to any student seeking summer employment and features employers from summer camps, parks, and casinos/hotels.

Job Notification

Throughout the year we receive notification of thousands of employment possibilities. We post them in our office and often e-mail them directly to you. We also record weekly job listings for teaching credential candidates accessible by telephone and send selected individual job announcements to the appropriate students throughout the year. When you register with our office the semester you will graduate, you become eligible for these services.

Education Placement Services

School districts have traditionally preferred that teacher candidates send them professional placement files maintained by the Career Planning and Placement Office. Placement files contain resumes and letters of recommendation from reliable observers of each student's practical experience. If you establish a file with us, we will send copies to prospective employers at your request for a small fee and will maintain the files for ten years.

We also provide assistance with resumes, interviewing skills, and sponsor the annual Education Career Fair that is regularly attended by more than 100 school districts throughout California.