What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a question most students start developing answers to as kids as they play Cops & Robbers in the front yard or turn their bedrooms into makeshift classrooms where they teach their stuffed animals, dolls and friends.

But what if you make it to college and are still unsure how to answer that question?

Even before being recently appointed interim director of the university’s Center for Career Design in September, Laurie Aiken had helped hundreds of high schoolers beginning college and soon-to-be graduates answer that very question.

“It’s important for students to understand that their first job is rarely their last,” she noted. “I emphasize to them that that journey evolves and continues even after choosing or starting a career. They’ll acquire new roles, responsibilities and opportunities along the way. Technology advances, trend shifts and new specialties in career fields represent ways to reinvent themselves and their career goals.”

 Columbus State University uses a unified career development strategy to help its students and alumni alike chart their professional paths. That strategy underscores that choosing a career field can be a practical decision, an emotional one, and sometimes a combination of the two.

CAREER PLANNING’S PRACTICAL SIDE

 Some students, like Lillian Patterson, come to Columbus State with a solid idea of their post-graduate career objectives. Hers included a clear goal of earning a business degree, earning her CPA credentials and later adding a master’s degree. However, she needed some guidance on preparing for internships and job interviews. That’s where the Center for Career Design helped.

 “The Center for Career Design helped give me the confidence I needed to approach my interview with excitement rather than anxiety,” said Patterson, an international business major who is minoring in accounting and Spanish. “I knew going [into that process] that I had a resume I felt proud of, as well as the foundations needed to explain myself and my goals related to the position I applied for.”

 By working with the center’s team, Patterson gained that confidence—and secured an internship.

 “During my internship, I will be learning more about the auditing process and getting hands-on experience interacting with clients and learning accounting software,” she said. “It will be a valuable learning experience that will give me a better understanding of what I would like to do in the accounting field. I also look forward to learning from such distinguished and knowledgeable individuals.”

 The Center for Career Design’s services to students like Patterson represent the practical side of career planning. The center provides structured programs, activities and events that lead to job search strategies, charting a career path and connecting classroom knowledge with the competencies required to get there.

 “Whether students realize it or not, they’re gaining real-world experience through their studies—even outside internships and part-time jobs. Our team works with students to help them translate class projects, writing assignments and other classroom learning into proof that they’re ready for their chosen careers,” Aiken said.

 Aiken noted that students can drop into the center’s services at any point in their career development journey. That may be in the early stages of exploring what professional opportunities exist in their area of study, aligning their studies with their desired career field, and attending workshops on skills and employment trends in their interest area. As students ready to hunt for internships and jobs, the center helps with drafting resumes, prepping for job interviews, and even providing free clothing from its Career Closet.