New name and space for Center for Career Development

By Marci Mullaney, Center for Career Development

 

Designed to enhance student life by bringing a variety of resources under one roof, the new Duncan Student Center houses the Office of Residential Life, Graduate Student Life, RecSports, Student Media and the new Center for Career Development.

 

Once referred to as the Career Center, the Center for Career Development is on the fifth floor and houses Undergraduate Career Services, Graduate Career Services and Mendoza Graduate Business Career Services. Prior to moving to Duncan, each department existed in separate buildings across campus. Now, students, staff and visiting recruiters have an easier time collaborating and moving between offices. 

 

“By moving our career services offices to one central location, Notre Dame offers a unique engagement experience for employers to tailor their recruiting experience and raise awareness among the many other students who could make an impact in other areas of their organizations,” noted Ryan Willerton, associate vice president for career and professional development.

 

The center has two suites on either end of the floor.

 

In the south suite, the Undergraduate Career Services team provides career counseling and professional development opportunities to all undergraduate students.

 

The new Employer Engagement team shares the suite. The team cultivates relationships with recruiters, companies and organizations that hire undergraduate and graduate students for internships and full-time positions.

 

Also in the south suite is the Operations and Event Services team, which coordinates career fairs and other career-related programs and manages Go IRISH, Notre Dame’s online recruiting platform.

 

In the north suite you’ll find Graduate Career Services, which provides career consulting and professional development opportunities to master’s and Ph.D. students in the colleges of Arts and Letters, Engineering and Science and professional master’s programs.

 

A student speaks with a recruiter at the Winter Career Fair held in Duncan Student Center.

The Mendoza Graduate Business Career Services can also be found in the north suite. The office provides career coaching and professional development opportunities to graduate business students enrolled in the MBA, EMBA, MSA, MSF, MSBA and MSM programs.

 

Duncan’s fifth floor contains more than 25,000 square feet and stretches 100 yards, making the Center for Career Development one of the largest centralized career center operations in the nation. The floor features 36 interview rooms, which is an 89 percent increase in the space dedicated to interviews. Between interview rooms and meeting rooms, there are dozens of places on the floor where students can study and hold meetings in the evenings. 

 
The center also features eight custom-built video conference-capable rooms, which can accommodate virtual interviews between corporate recruiters and students. The increased technology also allows the Career Development team to provide workshops and resources for students on how to effectively conduct virtual interviews and position them for success.

 

The increase in technology is the result of student feedback during the planning process of the Duncan Student Center. The new technology also assists the Career Development team in providing workshops and resources for students on how to effectively conduct virtual interviews and position them for success.

 

“Our world-class, service-minded students deserve a facility that reflects their professionalism,” Willerton said. “The Center for Career Development will position students for success as they engage with recruiters locally, nationally and internationally.”

 

The Center for Career Development’s new position in a vibrant community space that offers holistic opportunities for students to study, socialize and become involved in leadership development opportunities enables students to focus early and often on discernment and career development.

Originally published by Gwen O’Brien at news.nd.edu on February 20, 2018.