Career Services
The Office of Career Services, Cooperative Education/Internship Programs, located on the second floor of Old Main, provides a variety of career-related services for students of all class levels. Here are just a few of the services they provide:
Choosing a Major
Skills, interests, work values and majors of the first-year student can be explored through a career exploration software program called FOCUS. This is an Internet-based guidance system which can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection. Students can explore, working at their own pace.
Career and Job Fair
An annual career and job fair provides students with the opportunity of meeting more than 200 company representatives providing them with experience in the career selection process. A major fair is also sponsored during the fall term to connect freshman students with faculty from all academic disciplines to assist them in choosing a major.
Enhancing Education
After completion of the first year, students can take advantage of services to enhance and promote their education. Services include:
- cooperative education/internship placement
- résumé construction, interviewing techniques
- credential files
- on-campus recruiting
- job search strategies
- graduate/professional school preparation
- individual career counseling with staff members
Internships/Co-Ops
The National Association of Colleges and Employers discovered that employers are increasingly using internship programs to identify potential employees. In fact, nearly 70% of interns receive job offers from internship employers. Undergrad interns on average make over $17 per hour once hired while Graduate interns can make over $25 per hour! Landing an internship could land you a job down the line!
Each year, the Office of Career Services places more than 350 students in cooperative education/internship experiences and hosts 60 organizations for on-campus interviewing. More than 90 percent of Mercyhurst graduates are employed and/or attending post-graduate programs.
Job Search
In addition, the Office of Career Services posts part-time jobs, offers Internet access for job searching, maintains an extensive career/graduate school catalog resource library and develops lasting contacts with Mercyhurst graduates.