(L-R) Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Yi Li, Career Center Director Anne Morey, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students William Watkins, and Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Dwayne Cantrell cut the ribbon for the grand opening of the new CSUN Career Center on Oct. 20, 2015.
On the fourth floor of Bayramian Hall, in room 413, stands the hub of a vital relationship that interweaves students, faculty, alumni and employers — California State University, Northridge’s new Career Center. The grand opening on Oct. 20 began with speeches by Career Center Director Anne Morey, who introduced William Watkins, vice president for student affairs and dean of students, and Yi Li, provost and vice president for academic affairs. The event was followed by a ribbon cutting and a tour of the new facility.
The center traditionally has been a place where CSUN students can receive guidance in discovering and learning about their careers, but it has “evolved to prepare intention programs and services to further help students based upon their strengths,” Watkins said. “The new center encourages collaborative learning, where students can learn from one another and experts in their field.”
Students can also learn from their peers and alumni through the center’s “education through multimedia” YouTube channel.
“We discovered that students love learning through videos and using YouTube, so that’s why we created this channel,” said Assistant Director Jan Potzmann, who has worked at CSUN for more than 17 years. Potzmann lays the groundwork and oversees the multimedia program, which is made up of a group of student animators, web developers, graphic design artists and videographers.
The channel has more than 65 videos in many different categories, such as how-to guides for experiential learning, career center events, CSUN department highlights, CSUN student stories and videos that feature notable alumni — including one filmed at Dodger Stadium, featuring CSUN alumnus and Dodgers team historian Mark Langill.
The center also uses student peer educators, so that students who come through its doors can connect though a shared perspective. Peer educators handle walk-ins; critique resumes, cover letters and thesis statements; and answer questions about specific careers and majors.
The new Career Center has added many new seating areas, where students can have more space and privacy. New books also were added to the center’s library, on topics including self exploration, internships, references, job searching, professional development and graduate schools.
“The environment feels more welcoming in this new building. It’s more spacious, and we have a lot more upgrades,” said student assistant Alexis Gonzales.
This year, CSUN has opened several new spaces for students: three freshmen residence halls and new dining facilities, the innovative Oasis Wellness Center, and now the Career Center. The expanded center “will engage our students, faculty and community,” Li said. “Reflection, inspiration and connection for life after college is the vision for this new facility.”
CSUN Career Center student assistants and staff teamed up to give guests a tour of the new facility on Oct. 20, 2015.