Dec. 2023 Department Debrief: Buckeye Careers
December 12, 2023
Buckeye Careers
To contact Buckeye Careers: Schedule an appointment, email careerquestions@osu.edu or visit the Buckeye Careers website
Department Debrief is a monthly article from the Parent and Family Relations office dedicated to helping family members and supporters better understand the services, opportunities and support offered by particular offices for students.
This month, our team met with Buckeye Careers to discuss the resources and opportunities available to assist students in figuring out their career path.
1.) If an interviewer were to ask you to provide a 30-second elevator pitch of what you do as an office in order to get the job, what would you say?
Buckeye Careers is an Ohio State Student Life office geared toward aiding students in their professional development and assisting them in their search for future employment prospects, Jennifer Chilman, Assistant Director of Employer Engagement and Internships said.
“Buckeye Careers provides step-by-step, comprehensive career services for all students from undergrad to post-doc to assist students in figuring out their career path,” Chilman said.
Located on the home page of their website, Buckeye Careers provides links to information about Handshake, career exploration, career preparation, employer relations, family engagement, internships and experiential learning, career coaching, and career and internship fairs.
Located under the tab titled “Job Search,” students and family members can find information about Handshake, Ohio States official job posting board for all enrolled students.
Through Handshake, students can schedule one-on-one appointments and see the wide variety of workshops being offered, Chilman said.
Scheduling a 30-minute appointment can include anything from resume reviews, mock interview practice, graduate school consideration or a simple discussion about the student’s needs and next steps recommended by Buckeye Careers, Chilman said.
The workshops are scheduled every month as opportunities for students to learn more about larger career-based concepts such as resume writing, interview skills and how to utilize Handshake to find job or internship prospects, Chilman said.
Beyond its purpose of providing students with career learning opportunities, Handshake is also a resource students can use as a job search and application system to connect and communicate with employers currently offering jobs, internships or more.
“Handshake is a great first step for any sort of career preparation,” Chilman said. “Handshake is a one-stop-shop for any career related event or activity happening on campus.”
All students enrolled at Ohio State have access to their own handshake account connected to their Ohio State email and password. Buckeye Careers also provides links to Handshake tutorials on their website.
Beyond Handshake workshops and appointments, Buckeye Careers hosts employer-facilitated workshops, university-wide career and internship fairs and a career closet throughout the academic year, Chilman said.
“[Career Closet] is a great opportunity for students that need professional attire as they prepare to attend a career fair or an interview,” Chilman said. “Students can come and shop for free and get professional attire, either pieces or a complete outfit to help them look and feel their best.”
Whether an undergraduate, graduate or doctoral student, Chilman said Buckeye Careers is accessible to all for career searching, development and growth.
2.) What different types of internships exist and why should a student look for one?
Experiential learning is an umbrella term for which a variety of outside experiences exist under, but they all provide a student with the opportunity to apply and develop their knowledge and skills, Chilman said.
“Internships are really a way for students to test the waters in their field,” Chilman said. “The internship opportunity allows students to take that classroom knowledge and put it into real world practice.”
They are also ways to build a resume and develop professional networking opportunities, Chilman said.
“It allows you to start sampling different career paths that you can choose upon graduation,” Chilman said.
Cooperative Education (or Co-ops) is a form of experiential learning where students alternate terms between full-time student work and full-time employment, Chilman said.
Practicums are largely medical-field related and involve a student working or participating in a service experience for academic credit.
Externships or Job Shadowing are short, typically unpaid, experiences where a student follows a professional in the field for observational and educational purposes of that particular career choice.
Micro-internships are the mini versions of Internships where a student works as an intern for a few weeks with an employer to gain professional experience and development.
Experiential learning and career opportunities can be found at the University-Wide Career and Internship Fair hosted by Buckeye Careers, Chilman said. With over 30 career fairs offered across campus every academic year, Chilman said there is no shortage of opportunities for students to explore their options.
All Ohio State students can attend any career fair, but Chilman said they often have college-based specifications to them.
“So, the Fisher College of Business, for example, has their own career fair,” Chilman said. “They will probably have more business-focused career and internship opportunities, but non-business students can still attend to learn about different organizations and other opportunities available.”
However, Chilman said the University-Wide Career and Internship Fair that Buckeye Careers runs every fall semester works to accommodate all students, with employers from every industry, for every major and for all students.
A list of all attending employers and the registration link for any upcoming spring semester fairs can be found on Handshake.
To prepare for these fairs that can sometimes be overwhelming, Chilman said she recommends students attend workshops.
3.) How is Buckeye Careers helping students locate employment opportunities?
Beyond Handshake which can be used to find career and internship opportunities, Buckeye Career workshops and appointments and upcoming events and activities, Chilman said they work to ensure only the best employers are working with students.
“Buckeye Careers is committed to making sure that we have a lot of great employers and opportunities available to students,” Chilman said. “Any time employers are interested in connecting with Ohio State students, we vet new organizations and postings to help ensure high quality, engaging opportunities for students.”
Chilman said Buckeye Careers works with both the students and employers to determine what both sides are looking for and how they can best present career opportunities to students.
In addition to the career exploration, preparation and coaching opportunities Buckeye Careers offers to students through Handshake and their website, Chilman said they also have SEE, the Student Employment Experience Program.
This program is designated to helping students recognize, transfer and apply the skills acquired from on-campus jobs to future employment prospects, Chilman said.
“When a student works on campus, they get transferable or soft skills,” Chilman said. “You’re learning communication, critical thinking, time management and regardless of what industry you’re going into, these skills help you be a better employee and be better at your job.”
The abilities, skills and expertise acquired from experiences, whether internships, careers or on-campus jobs, are what best prepare a student for post-graduation, Chilman said, but they also help showcase their experience to employers.
“You may not make the connection initially, that working in dining services, you’re getting all these skills that will help you,” Chilman said. “Through GROW (Guided Reflections on Work) conversations, SEE supervisors help students learn how to talk about their experiences in a way that highlights the skills they’ve been developing.”
4.) How do you recommend parents and family members help their student in career and internship searching?
The best way a family member or parent can help their student is by supporting them, Chilman said.
“Parents and families can really encourage their students to think about doing an internship sooner rather than later,” Chilman said.
Beyond providing a support system, Chilman said she highly recommends parents and family members discuss different employers with their student.
“Everyone knows the big names,” Chilman said. “Understanding the different avenues in the different industries and the different types of employers that are out there can really help the student find their right spot instead of just thinking they need to go for a well-known employer.”
Chilman also said she encourages parents and families to discuss the wide variety of learning that occurs during an internship opportunity.
“Even having a struggle or realizing that you don’t like it is the great lesson and thing to know about yourself as you’re trying to figure out where your right spot is in the world,” Chilman said.
Buckeye Careers also contains a Family Engagement component on their website with more details about how parents and family members can help their student in their career development.
5.) Do you have any events or programs coming up that you recommend students, parents or family members explore?
Chilman said she encourages all students to utilize Handshake to see all upcoming activities and events hosted by Buckeye Careers, employers or other Ohio State career services offices.
“There’s a lot that happens every week on campus,” Chilman said. “There are always employers around looking to engage with students. Being aware of how you can find that information easily on Handshake is key.”
Chilman said she also recommends parents, family members and students employ the Buckeye Careers website, where more information about events such as their workshops and career closets can be found.
During the spring semester, Buckeye Careers will be holding a Career Closet on Jan. 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Feb. 7 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. More information can be found online.
The first career of spring semester will be held on Jan. 23. A comprehensive list of upcoming career fairs and opportunities can be found on the Buckeye Careers website.
Brooke Tacsar
Student Assistant
Parent and Family Relations