When is the best time for students to visit with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ (LAS) Career Services team? Anytime!
Whether first-year students are navigating new career paths or seniors need help negotiating salaries, the knowledgeable staff members with LAS Career Services are eager to help students succeed.
Located on the first floor of Carver Hall, LAS Career Services invites students to schedule in-person or virtual appointments through CyHire to discuss a multitude of topics – from career goals, to resumes, to networking strategies.
“A typical appointment is going to start off with a lot of questions to get to know the student and what they are interested in,” said Tessa Brow, director of LAS Career Services. “Then we really dig in to give them advice or provide coaching questions that can help them find their own answers.”
Scheduled appointments are 30 minutes long and led by one of five full-time career advising professional staff. Students also have the option to drop by the career services office anytime during office hours – Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – to speak with one of the four career peer advisors, students who have been trained to help with less intensive conversations, such as reviewing career documents, using CyHire, or researching career fairs.
Don’t delay
Brow recommends that students visit LAS Career Services early and often while at Iowa State to refine their career strategies.
“Career development is a process, and we don’t want students to wait until right before graduation to think about it,” she said. “We want students to have tools in their toolbox from very early on, such as designing a resume or cover letter, so they can apply to internships that are going to help them solidify their career path.”
Brow encourages first-year students to work with LAS Career Services on resumes as they begin to consider internships or to get help determining which career fairs to attend.
“We want students to be engaged as early as makes sense for them,” Brow said.
So many services
The services that the LAS Career Services team offer go far beyond resume evaluations, though that is their number one request from students. Other top asks include exploring career paths, preparing for career fairs, learning how to succeed in networking situations, developing solid interview strategies, and negotiating salaries.
“Resume appointments are the largest by volume. That’s what people first think about us, but we do so much more than that,” Brow said. “We’re excited to talk about resumes, but I think that gets into how do I seek out these other experiences that I want to put on my resume, how do I grow professionally? That turns into what’s the strategy for how to locate those positions or the networking I need to do.”
Students might be surprised at some of the other convenient and useful services LAS Career Services offers, including career document reviews, LinkedIn headshots, interview rooms free of distractions, and padfolios to corral paper documents during an interview.
Additional services that Brow wants students to know about include:
- CyHire – Students can access thousands of internships and job postings here. All listings are submitted directly from employers. Students can set up automatic job alerts for postings that match their interests.
- Big Interview – This resource is a directory of common interview questions that offer students tips on how to answer them. Students can record themselves answering the questions and get AI feedback on their pacing, choice of words, and eye contact.
- YouScience Discovery – This career assessment asks students to participate in 90 minutes of brain games. Afterwards, students will receive a report on their strengths. The tool then matches those strengths to potential careers. Only LAS students and alumni may access this service.
Maya Manal France (’27 data science) is no stranger to LAS Career Services. She has visited them eight times throughout her college career to seek advice.
“They’ve helped me review and edit my resume and LinkedIn profile, provided professional headshots, and given me guidance on finding internships and preparing for interviews,” France said.
Joslyn Helgens (’25 communication studies) has stopped by the LAS Career Services office on three separate occasions so far.
“All for resume reviews,” she said.
A class with purpose
Whether or not students take advantage of the many services that LAS Career Services offers, they will still get to know the career services staff through a required one-credit class called LAS 2030: Professional Career Preparation. Students in LAS 2030 must be at least sophomores.
“Sophomore year is when we really want students to get serious about seeking internships or other experiences,” Brow said.
The class, offered both in-person and online, begins with students exploring their personal brand – their career values, strengths, and transferable skills – things they can bring to future employers. Then, they learn how to package those values into their resumes. Next, the class focuses on the importance of networking, including developing LinkedIn profiles, going to career fairs, engaging in informational interviews, and brainstorming ways to meet professionals in their chosen field. From there, students research job outlook numbers, anticipated salaries, and geographic hotspots for their future career. Finally, the class wraps up by addressing salaries, benefits, and job-offer negotiations.
Christi Kampen (’25 liberal studies) found LAS 2030 invaluable.
“The class was a supportive environment where I was encouraged to discuss my successes and consider how my strengths and experiences would be sought-after qualities in my field,” she said.
Kampen added that as a non-traditional college student with years of professional experience, she thought she would learn nothing new in LAS 2030.
“I was wrong. I learned things in this class that will assist me in the job market over my entire career,” she said. “Overall, I felt like I grew throughout the class in ways that will benefit my future career trajectory.”
While LAS 2030 provides students with the foundation on which to begin their career journey, France suggests they also regularly visit LAS Career Services for additional help and guidance throughout their time at Iowa State.
“I would highly recommend LAS Career Services to other students because everyone there is incredibly supportive and wants to see you succeed,” France said. “They take the time to answer your questions, help you strengthen your resume, and guide you through finding internships and career opportunities. It’s reassuring to have people in your corner who are dedicated to helping you reach your goals.”