The Career Services office has seen a significant increase in the number of students seeking graduate school planning services. Among many programs and events, Career Services offers students career guidance in their workshops and educational exploration opportunities with events such as the Graduate Professional Schools Fair.
Many students have an interest in an advanced degree but need additional career clarification prior to pursuing their academic plan. Evelyn Lora-Santos, assistant Graduate Career Services, facilitated an interactive 2-hour workshop, “Is Graduate School in Your Future?”. Thirty students attended the workshop with many attendees commenting on how this workshop helped them “feel more focused and motivated to pursue their true passion.” More than 100 students expressed an interest in attending this workshop. In response to the high interest, Career Services will be offering the workshop several times a semester.
Students, who are exploring graduate and professional programs, had the opportunity to talk to representatives from 75 schools at the Graduate and Professional Schools Fair on October 15. In addition to the UCF, other Florida state, public and private institutions attended as well as other reputable graduate, law and health programs from across the country. There were 585 students in attendance and many students thanked career services for hosting this event. The fair was coordinated by Lora-Santos and Earnestine Gould, assistant director Special Events for Career Services.
Career Services collaborated with McNair Scholars Program and Delta Epsilon Iota, a career development honor society to co-sponsor a graduate school planning workshop seminar. The comprehensive daylong seminar, “Gaining Entrance into Competitive Graduate Programs,” was facilitated by Donald Asher, one of the nation’s foremost authorities on the graduate admissions process. He is the author of 12 books, including Graduate Admissions Essays, the best-selling guide to the graduate admissions process, and The Best Scholarships for the Best Students.
The seminar’s topics included researching graduate programs, obtaining graduate funding and support, as well as an interactive exercise to help students draft components of their personal statements. With 41 students in attendance, 91 percent rated the workshop as “excellent” and 8 percent rated it “very good.” The seminar provided students with valuable information and resources and an opportunity for Career Services educate students on their in-house services. Ninety-four percent of the students who attended the workshop reported that they plan to seek Career Services’ graduate school planning services.
Anna Turner, currently completing a MA in mass communication and working on her MA in applied sociology commented on the seminar, “The workshop really inspired me to stop the organizational/research process and take action,” commented “Thank you for that boost of confidence and all of the valuable information. I had the most productive Saturday in my life.”
Career Services is an office in the Division of Student Development and Enrollment Services.