Career Development Center Services

Our goal is simple — to help you prepare for a successful career after graduation. Whether you have yet to decide on a major or are looking for an internship or job, our experienced and dedicated team will make sure you have access to ODU’s vast collection of resources and network of corporate partners to help you stand out in a competitive job market.

We can help you with:

• Resume and cover letter preparation
• Exclusive job & internship opportunities
• Career decision-making
• Networking opportunities
• Graduate school application
• Major exploration

Download our Career & Development Center flyer for more information!

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Ask yourself the following questions. If you can reply “yes” to each, you’ve got what it takes to start your career – and be successful!

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Are you able to exercise sound reasoning to analyze issues, make decisions and overcome problems?

Professionalism & Work Ethic
Are you able to demonstrate personal accountability and effective work habits, such as punctuality, good time management and ethical behavior?

Career Management
Are you able to navigate and explore job options, take the steps necessary to pursue opportunities, and understand how to self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace?

Leadership
Are you able to leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals, and, at the same time, use your skills to coach and develop others?

Information Technology Application
Are you able to identify and use appropriate technology to accomplish a given task?

Teamwork & Interpersonal
Are you able to collaborate with colleagues and customers who represent different cultures, races, ages, genders, religions, lifestyles and viewpoints? Also, how well do you work within a team structure?

Communications
Are you able to articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in both written and oral form to people who are both within and outside of your organization?

The Career Development Center at Ohio Dominican University holistically supports students and alumni in their pursuit of designing a life-plan and work-plan that aligns their values and skills.  We support students and alumni in their quest to discover their ‘calling’ – connecting their passion with a purpose – through self-reflection, career exploration, career preparation, and securing a meaningful career outcome upon graduation.  We believe career development is a life long journey and it is the responsibility of the entire campus community to guide students – wayfinders – in all their curricular and cocurricular efforts.  Our goal is to provide career readiness tools, resources and knowledge that will not only service students and alumni in their current and future career pursuits, but also faculty and staff in their role as mentors and guides.

February 1, 2019 - Registration Open

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There is no cost to attend for Ohio Dominican students and alumni. Ohio Dominican is a member of the Ohio Federation of Independent Colleges (OFIC)  along with 32 other independent colleges in university throughout the state of Ohio. OFIC hosts CareerFest every Fall in Cleveland and Winter in Columbus. Over 100 graduate schools, employers, and nonprofit organization attend recruiting for full time and internship opportunities. 

Every Fall Education Majors participate in a speed dating style event to network with 10+ area school districts.  Principals and HR representatives share information about district hiring policies, resume and application tips, interviewing strategies, and help students learn more about the district culture and student population.

For over 33 years Ohio Dominican University has helped our Education majors get a foot in the door with over 15 local school districts during our spring Education Interview Day.  During this event Education Majors can conduct a screening interview with as many as 8 districts and many quickly move on to the on-site interview phase.   

At Ohio Dominican University we know that our student athletes are busy and often struggle to participate in career and professional development programs.  The Career Development Center partners with the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) to bring employers and alums on campus for a mini career fair, panel discussion networking night.  Many coaches/teams require there athletes attend.

The Career Development Center strives to integrate intentional career conversations into the curriculum.  Partnering with Dean, Division Chairs, and faculty we facilitate workshops designed to support Freshman through Seniors with information tailed to their year in school and major.   We also facilitate customized workshops for student organizations, athletics, and other Student Development offices like Residence Life and the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

Many employers and organizations in the Central Ohio region want to #hireodu.  Typically 30+ employers are on campus through the year staffing information tables in the Griff (our Student Center) from 11-2pm recruiting students for part-time, full-time, seasonal, and internship positions. 

ODU has strong reputation in the Central Ohio region for producing “Career Ready” graduates.  Employers are encouraged to facilitate on campus interviews to connect with our talented motivated students during the Fall and Spring Semester.   Most on campus interviews are facilitated in the Career Development Center interview room 108A.

 

Often the best way to explore your major and career is to see it in person.  While internships and part time jobs are a great way to learn about possible career opportunities, spending a day or afternoon inside an organization can be very eye opening.  The Career Development Center works with faculty and student organization, plus our community partners to facilitate Career Treks to local organizations like:  Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Marburn Academy, COSI, the Columbus Zoo, The Center for Family Safety and Healing, Nationwide Insurance, NBC4i, Ologie, and many more!

The best place to reach our students is in the classroom – helping students connect what they are learning in the classroom with current employer, organization and industry best practices.  The best people to communicate this message are the employers themselves – especially ODU alumni!  We welcome many employers and alumni on campus to facilitate classroom information sessions and workshops.  These sessions give students a better opportunity to learn about current employment and industry trends, understand how what they are learning in the classroom is put into practice, plus learn about #adulting and making a successful college 2 career transition. 

Other valuable ways to learn more about a career path is through an informational interview and job shadowing.

To conduct an informational interview, find someone in an occupation of interest to you and ask them if you could have fifteen to twenty minutes of their time to learn more about their field. The information you gather can help you in a job interview, but most importantly, you have made a valuable contact in the field.

Job shadowing is when you spend a significant amount of time (typically 2 hours or more) with a professional in your field of interest while they are at work. This experience provides you an opportunity to experience the work in action first hand so that you can develop a better understanding of the work environment, skills needed for on the job success and the competencies you need to establish.

Contact the Career Development Center for help finding appropriate contacts and preparing for your informational interview or job shadow opportunity.