Career Management Center Prioritizes Student Success
The Career Management Center in the Fowler College of Business worked to quickly adapt services for students affected by the pandemic.
“Students at SDSU are resilient, and I think that the rapid transition to an online environment has really illustrated that.”
Following suit with all departments and divisions at San Diego State University, the Career Management Center (CMC) within the Fowler College of Business acted quickly to move services online in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
And the swift shift yielded positive results.
“The Career Management Center immediately shifted all student appointments either to Zoom or phone,” said Beverly Bracker, the center director. “Right away we began researching and compiling resources to help students find remote/virtual opportunities, micro-internships, projects, and opportunities to obtain no- or low-cost training and certifications to help them build the skills employers are seeking.”
Founded in 2014 as the Graduate Career Management Center, the CMC focuses on supporting students by offering business resources, hosting expert speaker events, and facilitating experiential learning opportunities to help them prepare to land a full-time position after graduation. The CMC offers students a wide variety of career services and support including LinkedIn profile reviews, job search strategies, networking tips, salary negotiation coaching, resume building, career assessments and sample interview questions.
“It's definitely been a season for change and adaptability,” said Michelle Svay, internship and career fair coordinator. “I am in awe at how my colleagues have been able to adapt so quickly to still provide services to our students. On the flip side, I am also very proud that our students have been able to transition to the online format to continue their studies.”
Since its inception, the CMC has helped thousands of business students get on the right track with their career goals, students like Vincent Young (‘20). During his junior year, Young met Greg Tanneberger, CMC’s professional development and external relations specialist. He was looking for a summer internship and Tanneberger helped him secure a position with a medical technology company, Becton, Dickinson, and Company (BD).
“What I enjoy most about advising our students is that they often inspire me,” said Tanneberger. “Often, I hear about the challenges that students have faced to even have an opportunity to pursue advanced education, and then I am moved by the perseverance that each demonstrated to overcome those challenges.”
Announced this month, the university's five-year strategic plan, "We Rise We Defy: Transcending Borders, Transforming Lives," prioritizes providing students access to success through transformational experiences in and outside of the classroom. The university will host a virtual kickoff event for the launch of the strategic plan at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16. All members of the SDSU and general communities are invited to RSVP online and watch the streamed event on SDSU.edu.
Young continued utilizing CMC’s services during his time at SDSU and when he needed advice for an upcoming interview with a Fortune 500 company he knew exactly where to go.
“Here at SDSU, we are fortunate to have the Career Management Center which serves to assist in the interview process since interviews specific to business can be different than interviews conducted in other fields,” said Young.
This summer, the CMC and Fowler College of Business hosted a personal branding workshop with industry expert and general manager of MillerCoors, Mark Lindner. Based in Pittsburgh, Lindner delivered his presentation virtually to nearly 100 students and recent alumni across the country.
Continuing to find creative ways to adapt to the virtual learning environment, the CMC focused on creating digital resources for Fowler business students. During the summer, the team developed YouTube tutorials, a new Career Success Handbook, ready-to-go virtual presentations, and resources for finding virtual/remote jobs and internships.
“Students at SDSU are resilient, and I think that the rapid transition to an online environment has really illustrated that,” said Jill Lackey, business career development coordinator. “Students have learned to not only quickly adapt, but to take charge of their narratives, both personally and professionally.”
