Katelyn Caragher wants students to know the Career Center can help them – no matter what their major. 

“The Career Center is ultimately an office that helps students figure out what they want to major in and how they can turn that into a career path,” said Caragher, a career consultant since 2019.

“Our goal … is to help you take what you’re learning in classes, off campus, at work or internships and help you gain confidence to explain that to an employer,” she said. 

Though many students feel the center is most helpful to those focused on so-called STEM majors in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, Caragher said it can help everyone.

She encourages students of all majors to use the center and attend its events, like the Spring Expo on March 8. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., students and alumni seeking jobs get a chance to meet with employers seeking interns and full- and part-time workers. All PNW students and alumni can register through Handshake.

“We don’t care what major you are,” said senior Jenna Turner, a Social Work major who is interning at the center. “I’ve had appointments with a variety of students. It doesn’t matter, we just want to help.”

Caragher said the center offers practical help to build job-seeking skills. It helps students develop their resumes, participate in mock interviews, and learn about opportunities post-graduation. 

“I believe whatever you put into something is what you get out of it,” she said. “I’m seeing way more freshmen than I have in previous years and I think that’s great. … We’re able to see them sooner and get them on the right track.” 

Caragher said she knows how much career centers can help from her own college experience. 

“I didn’t know how to make a resume or how to go about getting an internship, so I personally spent a lot of time in the career center,” she said.  

The time gave her the confidence and preparation she needed to prepare for the workforce.

“This is why I think students should stop here, we’re here to help you build that confidence in your skill set,” said Caragher. 

Turner, a transfer student, said too few students take advantage of what the center offers. 

“I want to help people by giving them resources and tools to succeed,” she said. “There are so many resources the career center offers that just need to get out there. The word needs to get out.”

The Career Center is located in SULB 349 on the Hammond campus and in TECH 157 in Westville. The Hammond offices are open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Westville operates on the same schedule, excluding Tuesdays when the center is closed.