After more than?a?year-long remodel in the Manwaring Center, the BYU-Idaho Career Center has opened its doors?in?a new centralized location. With?more than?10,000?square feet,?the new space has been thoroughly designed to best meet the needs of?students and?facilitate?one of the most?important?outcomes?to the university:?obtaining meaningful career employment.??? ?
The previous space for the?BYU-Idaho?Career Center was?spread across?multiple locations?in?the Manwaring?Center. Given the importance of helping students find careers after graduation, Student Advancement Managing Director Derek Fay says the university sought to relocate the Career Center to a more accessible location with all?of?its services in one place.??
“The?services the?team was?delivering were?important, but the visibility to students was not there.?Previously,?Internship and Career Services?had been combined?with the Alumni Office?to?create?the BYU-Idaho Career Center.? This new location for the Career Center will help provide more accessibility and?visibility?for its services,” Fay stated.?
Throughout the construction,?the FFKR Architecture design team, BYU-Idaho?architect David Gay, and?Okland?Construction?emphasized the accessibility of the space?for students. They also incorporated a custom wall design, which Fay feels suggests a visualization of the statement of Jacob?Spori?when he said, “The seeds we are planting today will grow and become mighty oaks, and their branches will run all over the earth.”?
“Symbolically, we feel like the?wall?design and lights in the space connect us to that?imagery?and suggest branches running all over the earth,” Fay said. “The Career Center wants to help?students?be ready,?be?confident,?get the job,?and?go on?to?be?disciple leaders wherever they go from here.”?
There are also two large video walls?which will soon display alumni?profiles, data,?quotes, and?other?information?meant?to?invite,?educate,?and motivate?current students to?take action that will bring them success?.??
The?Career Center’s?space?was?finished?at the conclusion of Winter Semester 2021?and?is?ready to help students achieve their desired career outcomes after graduation. Fay shared how the Career Center is available to help?all?students with their goals.?
“For every student, regardless of their academic program or year in school, we want to help them understand how to do smart things at smart times so they can get ready, feel confident, and get the job,” Fay stated.?
Those at the?Career Center focus?on four main objectives as they work to provide?employability?resources for students:?job market readiness, employer connections, alumni networking, and internship services.?
Job Market Readiness?
Several professional resources are offered through the Career Center that prepare students for job interviews and internship experiences. With the help of?full-time?employees and trained student employees, they offer?resume review,?interview practice, and a variety of?preparation workshops.??
Employer Connections?
Through?on-site and virtual?employer events, the?Handshake?platform, and?career fairs, the Career Center is able to connect?students?with employers across many different industries. Since the campus adjustments from the COVID-19 pandemic first started, the Career Center has been able to host 11 virtual career fairs?that?served more?total?students than previous in-person career fairs.??
Alumni Networking?
With a?network?of over 200,000 alumni from both Ricks College and BYU-Idaho, the Career Center has a wide reach of industries to?connect?current and graduating students?to. These alumni?can?serve as mentors for students and?help?open?doors?to companies?alumni are?already working for.??
Internship Services?
To meet the necessary graduation requirements across campus, the Career Center can help students?know how to apply for internships?in?their areas of study.?Service missionaries?are a key resource in cities across the United States?that can?potentially?connect?internship providers with?students.??
The Career Center?also?offers resources for both campus and online students?and invites faculty to?consider?incorporating many of?these resources in their?classes?.?
“We have great partnerships with academic departments,” Fay stated. “We would invite any faculty that wants to know how to embed employability?activities?into a curricular assignment or?other efforts in?their academic program,?to?reach out to the Career Center.”?
Students or faculty can reach the Career Center at 208-496-9801.