Career and Leadership Resources
Handshake
Students
Ohio University uses Handshake, the leading career platform used by 500+ colleges and by more than 250,000 employers.
Used by all Fortune 500 companies, Handshake allows you to discover and favorite jobs at top financial institutions, cutting edge tech firms, leading design and marketing agencies, nonprofits making the world a better place, and more. You can also receive personal recommendations based on your interests, skills, major, location preferences and search history.
Login today to complete your profile and put your best self forward to employers. And, be sure to download Handshake Mobile (iOS) to discover jobs on the go and to stay on track with reminders for application deadlines and direct messages from employers.
Finding a job can be daunting, but Handshake is here to help you take the first step towards building a great career and fulfilling your potential.
Alumni
The Bobcat Family is part of the extensive Handshake network—a modern career development platform. To set up your account, follow these simple instructions provided by Handshake.
Avoid Job Scams
Anytime a company is seeking a monetary transaction, this should be a red flag that this is a scam. Never deposit checks sent from a company or give personal information, such as bank accounts, to a company during the interview process. Emails from companies that ask you for money or want you to deposit checks before doing any work are scams.
If you receive a message similar to this, “We received your resume from your career services for a possible job placement. Please respond to this email if you are still job hunting or you are looking to earn additional income,” this could also be a scam.
If you receive any emails or paperwork from a company that may not seem legitimate please forward the information to the Career and Leadership Development Center.
To learn more, please refer to the World Privacy Forum's resources for avoiding job scams.
Career and Leadership Courses
Prepare for your future through a career or leadership course taught by our professional staff.
The course variety enables you to find the best fit for your needs. Instructors work with you in exploring career options, applying self-knowledge to career-related decisions, and researching opportunities that fit your interests and goals. Each course integrates a variety of reflective exercises and exploratory assignments ranging from building a top-notch LinkedIn page, to writing a stellar resume, or sharpening interviewing skills. Earn academic credit while taking action in your own professional development.
Course Descriptions
Career Planning in the Liberal Arts
(CAS 1130) Career development involves more than choosing a major or occupation. Development consists of assessing interests, skills, values, and motivations, and understanding the necessary skills needed to succeed in the world of work. Students in this class will have the opportunity to develop a professional portfolio using LinkedIn, craft a customized resume and cover letter, research majors and careers related to those majors, and work with an employer to tackle a real-world challenge. This class is a great fit for first year students or any student interested in exploring where major and career paths lead.
Career Planning in the Liberal Arts
(Seven-week CAS 1130) Beginning week seven of both fall and spring semesters, this course offers an accelerated version of CAS 1130.
Principles and Techniques of Interviewing
(COMS 2040) Gain extensive experience persuading, giving and getting information, and preparing for job interviews. Students will explore communication situations and strategies encountered in organizational and professional environments. This highly interactive class features interviews, practice through role-playing, and real-life interviews in and out of class. This course is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
Career Strategies: Internship and Job Mapping
(CAS 2130) Targeted at sophomore students, this course will equip students with the tools necessary to plot their goals for gaining experience prior to graduation, to be as marketable as possible. This course facilitates the creation of formal employment documents and a professional development plan for completing an internship in a field of interest. Student will gain a clear understanding of resources for seeking internships, experience collaborating with a team to solve a real-world problem from an employer, and knowledge of how to be professional in a workplace setting.
Professional Career Search Strategies
(RFPD 3890) This class furthers the professional development of students in the Retail Merchandising and Fashion Product Development major. The course emphasizes career development in preparation for future work experiences and employment through resume and cover letter writing, development of interview skills, job search strategies, professional writing, discussion of current key topics within the retail and fashion industry, and a variety of other professional experiences. Past groups have completed innovative class projects including real-life case study presentations to Fortune 100 companies.
Interdisciplinary Thinking, Creativity, and Innovation: Preparing for the Next Step
Special Topics in Specialized Students
(SPST 4250) Students will explore career planning through discussions and activities related to professional development, branding, and developing an intentional plan to grow as lifelong learners following graduation. Assignments and activities in the course prepare students to be dynamic and thoughtful contributors to their workplaces or graduate schools post-graduation. This course is intended for upperclass students in the Bachelor of Specialized Studies program and is co-taught by University College and CLDC staff.
Career Strategies for Psychology Majors
Independent Study in Psychology
(PSY 4930) This course offers practical assignments that will help with navigating the job search process, including completion of at least one customized, professional application. Through this class, students will grow their professional network in a field of interest, develop interviewing skills, and refine their social media presence to leverage skills and experiences. This class is designed for senior Psychology majors preparing to enter the world of work.
Career Closet
Put your best self forward at a career fair or in an interview by shopping the CLDC’s library of professional clothing—the Career Closet. The Closet provides students with business professional and business casual clothes for interviews, career fairs, formal events or any career-related function, both on and off campus.
How the Career Closet works
- Drop in for an appointment
- Shop the closet!
Students can borrow any item of clothing they need and are not required to return anything. We encourage students to keep the clothes they find for future career needs or professional development opportunities.
Drop-In appointment
Hours available for fall semester 2018
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday 12 PM – 3 PM
- Tuesday, Thursday 12 PM – 5 PM
Location
Career and Leadership Development Center
Baker University Center, 5th Floor, 533
Contact
Dori Branch, Assistant Director for Mentorship Programming
CLDC_CareerCloset@ohio.edu
Make a donation
All donations of lightly used, professional clothes should be delivered to the Career and Leadership Development Center. Due to the rapid turnover in inventory and the consistent need for new sizes and styles, clothing donations are always being accepted! For questions regarding donations, contact Dori Branch (above).
To support the Career Closet with a monetary gift, please visit www.ohio.edu/give and click the green GIVE NOW link. Be sure to check the box that says “The fund I want to support isn’t listed above” and type "Career Closet Support Fund" in the text box.
Career Tools
Ohio University Career Tools is a robust database of high-quality resources curated from around the internet. This is your go-to source for job searching, major and career exploration, graduate school preparation, and more. Career Tools has it all.
What can I do with this major?
Ignite your future by connecting your academic interests to career opportunities. A specific major does not necessarily lead you to a specific career path, and What can I do with this major is the perfect resource to consider your options.
Consider meeting with a career coach to talk about how your academic studies combine with interests, out-of-class involvement, and internship experiences to lead you to design your professional path.