Most children are able to state what they want to be when they “grow up.”

But college students have more uncertainty. There are plenty of students who don’t know what they want to do after college.

Judy Owens, director of Career Services, said the Career Services Center provides a helpful solution for these people.

“Many students who are undeclared regarding their majors have not been to seek counseling with us,” Owens said. “Many wait until they no longer have any gen- eral education courses left to take and then they try to make a decision very quickly without much thought.

“If one is going to spend a large portion of their lives working, it seems to me it would be important to make a good decision regarding the major, career and work that they will do.”

The program isn’t only for students seeking a major, however.

“Every Western student can benefit from using the Career Services Center,” career counselor Philip Parker said. “Career planning during college is a freshman-through-senior process. There are things that a student can be doing regarding his or her career development during each year of college.”

To begin using the program, Parker recommends filling out a Career Services application at the center’s

Web site at www.wku.edu/CareerServ or at the center’s main office in Cravens Library room 216.

Parker also stresses the value of individual appointments.

“Taking advantage of the wealth of career information on our Web site is something new students, and all students, can do at any time,” he said. “However, students should be aware that individual appointments with a Career Services professional to discuss career issues are the best way to get started.”

Beyond taking these initial steps, the center has a lot to offer.

“The three primary services we provide include the assistance in choosing a major and a career path, assistance in setting up career-related work experiences such as cooperative education and internships, and the general aspects of the job search,” Parker said.?

Owens said that too few students take advantage of the services provided.

“We also sometimes have on-campus interviews and do not have full schedules of students for the employers to interview,” she said. “That really surprises me since there is such a shortage of jobs currently. Also, as a result of this, some companies will no longer come to Western to interview.”

With simple childhood days looking farther away than ever, Career Services is there to help make sense of it all.

“Many students through the years have indicated to me that they wish they had come to see us sooner,” Owens said.

Reach Kevin Lester at [email protected].