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VOL. 1: JUNE 2006 Enjoy the first issue of the Texas A&M Career Connections Newsletter!
Career Center Statistics So Much More than On-Campus Interviews The Texas A&M University Career Center is proud to be one of the largest campus recruiting programs in the nation. Last year, more than 31,000 students participated in Career Center programs and events, including workshops, presentations, resume reviews, and more. Over the past five years, the Career Center has received both national and regional recognition for its Mock Interview Program, Career Coordinators, Parents Website and Guide, Former Student Career Services, and Athletic Career Services. STATISTICS: Fall 2005-Spring 2006
Don't Wait to Get Started 
It’s never too early to start planning for life after graduation. No matter what you plan to do when you leave A&M... go to graduate school, enter professional school, find a job, take a year off and travel...at some point in your life, you'll need to write down your qualifications, sit across from someone, and convince him or her that you are the best person for the position. To prepare for this, it's important to learn the wealth of opportunities that are available to you and then begin "building your resume" through internship and co-op experiences, involvement in professional organizations, and networking with former students. By working with our skilled career advisors and participating in externships as early as your freshmen year, we can help you plan your career and master the skills you’ll need to land your dream job. Visit our office during walk-in advising hours (Monday through Friday from 8:30-11:00am and 1:30-4:00pm), or make an appointment with a career advisor by calling 845-5139. Knowledge and Experience Make the Difference The TAMU Career Center staff has 300 combined years of career services experience and 250 years of corporate experience. Each day, students have the opportunity to meet with staff members during walk-in advising in order to build stronger resumes, refine interviewing skills, evaluate compensation packages, and much more. Career advisors are available to discuss in-depth career questions, such as what opportunities exist within a student's major, how to begin the job search process, and how to contact companies across the country. Identify the career advisor for your college by visiting http://careercenter.tamu.edu/about/advisors.html Faculty and Staff: Services for Our Partners on Campus 
AggieLaunch Faculty/Advisor Report The Texas A&M University Career Center now offers an online report to faculty, advisors, and campus staff that provides a monthly update of employment opportunities available to students in your department or college. All openings are listed in, AggieLaunch, the Career Center's online system. To receive an electronic copy of this report, contact the Director of Employment Services at 845-5139. Work for Walk If you must miss a class session, one of our staff members can serve as a guest lecturer and instruct your students on any career-related topic of your choice. To request a speaker, call 845-5139. Career Center Library Located in 209 Koldus, the professionally staffed Career Center Library contains more than 1,000 books, directories, and publications. Professional development videos are also available for viewing. Tours of the library are available to help students, families, and groups become acquainted with the services and materials. Former Student Services/Resources The Career Center partners with The Association of Former Students to meet the needs of our former students. This partnership and our dedicated office staff enable the Career Center to provide contacts to faculty and staff seeking classroom mentors, speakers, and case study materials. Get to Know... Your career advisors Each quarter, the Texas A&M University Career Center will highlight members of its exceptional staff. In this issue, we’d like to introduce you to four of our career advisors.
Dale Pracht
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Agriculture Advisor: Tradition of Excellence Award Winner and Fish Camp Namesake Dale has worked at the Career Center for the past six years, first as an Assistant Director in Experiential Education and currently as the Career Coordinator for students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He brings character and integrity to the workplace and to his relationships with students, co-workers, faculty and staff, and employers. Those of us who have the pleasure of working with Dale see him as a model of excellence and as a person dedicated to serving students. That's why we’re so proud that Dale received the 2006 Tradition of Excellence Staff Award, as well as a Fish Camp Namesake. Congratulations Dale! Contact Dale: dpracht@cctr.tamu.edu
Marilyn Yeager
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Life Sciences Advisor Marilyn provides career advising and services to Life Sciences students in three colleges across campus, including the Colleges of Science, Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. Marilyn received a Bachelor of Science in Aquatic Biology from U.C. Santa Barbara and a Master of Science in Oceanography from Texas A&M University. She worked for environmental consulting firms for three years, served as a water quality chemist and marine biologist for the City of San Francisco for nine years, and worked for as a research associate in the Oceanography Department at Texas A&M University for 10 years. She joined the Career Center staff as the Career Coordinator for the life sciences last year. Contact Marilyn: marilyny@cctr.tamu.edu
David McMahon
Dwight Look College of Engineering Engineering Advisor David works with students in the Dwight Look College of Engineering, advises specific majors in Engineering for Cooperative Education, and manages the Career Center Externship Program. David graduated with both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University. After leaving the A&M campus, David served for two years in the United States Army and then worked for more than 30 years with Union Carbide Corporation and The Dow Chemical Company. His industry experience included assignments as an Industrial Engineer, Department Head of the Safety, Logistics, Production, and Environmental Protection Departments, Quality Program Manager, Shift Superintendent, and Internal Consultant. As a part-time assignment, David was the College Relations Representative for UCC and Dow with Texas A&M for over 25 years. David joined the Career Center staff in August 2004. Contact David: davidm@cctr.tamu.edu
Jodee Bailey
Mays Business School Business Advisor As the Career Coordinator for the Mays Business School, Jodee Bailey works for the Career Center and is housed in the Wehner Building. She and her graduate assistant provide services for all undergraduates in Mays Business School and work closely with the Business Student Council Career Fair and the Professional Program in Accounting. Jodee has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Southwest Baptist University. Before serving as the Career Coordinator for Mays Business School, she was the Compliance Officer for Primrose Healthcare Services in Springfield, Missouri. In that role, she was responsible for developing and implementing an organization-wide regulatory compliance plan as well as training all employees regarding compliance issues. Contact Jodee: JBailey@mays.tamu.edu
Featured Service AggiE-folio: Your FREE Online Portfolio AggiE-folio is an online portfolio that the Career Center created based on input and feedback from faculty, staff, and students. This tool is available for all Texas A&M students and can be utilized as early as their freshman year. In fact, in the fall of 2005, Mays Business School used AggiE-folio with a group of 72 business honors freshmen in their Transitions learning community. This group of freshmen used AggiE-folio to track their progress toward business learning goals. The Transitions program was such a success that the program will be offered to all 850 freshmen business students in the fall of 2006. The Career Center is pleased to work with both the Transitions program and the Mays Business School in documenting and tracking the success of students throughout their college years. If you are interested in learning more about AggiE-folio, contact Jeannine Kantz (jkantz@tamu.edu) or visit this website: http://careercenter.tamu.edu/services/s24.html  Career Spotlight: Play Therapist Child Life Specialists also referred to as "play therapists," "activity therapists," or "therapeutic recreation specialists,” are members of pediatric health care teams who focus on the emotional, social,  and developmental needs of hospitalized children and adolescents.Child Life Specialists work with ill or injured children and adolescents to ease the anxiety and stress brought on by hospitalization or serious illness. These professionals ease the trauma of hospitalization by providing interaction, play and relaxation, comforting the patient through activities like art, cooking, recreation, and play. Child Life Specialists commonly work in hospitals or clinics, which may provide special playrooms where the patient and the Child Life Specialist can meet for activities. In addition, Child Life Specialists often spend time with children and their families in their hospital rooms. Most hospitals mandate that, when a Child Life Specialist is in the room with a patient, the physicians and nurses are not allowed to perform any regular procedures, allowing the child to feel secure whenever the CLS is around. Many Child Life Specialists can also accompany children into areas of the hospital where parents are not allowed, including the operating and recovery rooms. Some universities have child life programs, but a B.A. in education, psychology, or child development also prepares you for a career as a Child Life Specialist. Typical courses focus on liberal arts, psychology, human growth and development, and psychosocial care. Internships and volunteer work in health care settings are helpful. A voluntary certification as a Certified Child Life Specialist (C.C.L.S.) is available through the Child Life Council's Child Life Certifying Committee. This process includes education, clinical training, and professional experience. A Child Life Specialist must have excellent supervisory, research, and communication skills. He or she must understand family dynamics and be in tune with the concerns of children or adolescents. Observing and understanding child development is important for creating educational play. Child Life Specialists must adjust to being around sick children and hospitals, and they must be emotionally stable for their patients. An understanding of basic medical terminology is often required. The demand for Child Life Specialists is steady. More hospitals are opening child life centers, so positions in this field will continue to be available. To learn more about Child Life Specialists, visit the Career Center or contact local children's hospitals for more information. Your Turn Share Your Job Search Stories Do you have a story about your job search that you would like to share? A success story, something funny, someone who helped you through the process who deserves recognition? Let us know by sending a brief, one to two paragraph description of your experience to feedback@careercenter.tamu.edu. Stories may be printed in our newsletter and on our website. We look forward to hearing from you! |
