Gabriel Gonzalez

Student Life Editor

Over 300 students pay a visit to the Career Development Center each semester, but as Eric J. Rusiewicz, career advisor, says, “We can always have more!” 

The Career Development Center offers resources included in your tuition to help prepare you for your future careers. Services include networking tips, interview preparation, job search support and one-on-one coaching, The staff do everything in their power to ensure students coming to them are ready for the outside world. 

The Career Development Center accomplishes this task through partnerships, including Handshake: the number one platform businesses use to connect to students and recent graduates. Those familiar with LinkedIn don’t even have much more to learn, the job search interface very similar. 

Another tool they employ is Focus2, one of the top tools for assessing students undecided or undeclared. Focus2 can help narrow down the interests of the student to one of six types: health science, business, education, stem, the arts and the social sciences : communication, philosophy and language. Focus2 even contains modules for career planning. 

Still confused? The Career Development Center offers presentations to classes, sororities, fraternities and many other venues virtually or in person. They accommodate for time and can switch strategy for the audience. For example, a stem class would not be getting the same advice as an English one, ensuring that each presentation is tailored to your needs. All one has to do is fill out the correct form.

The Career Development Center can also help with continuing education, aiding interested students with the development of personal statements for their applications.

With so many fantastic resources, it’s no wonder that the department has had so many successes.

Jerome Dixon was homeless beginning his academic career. But through hard work, dedication and frequent visits to the Career Development Center, he was able to carve out a career with his skills in media technology and production. With the Career Development Center’s help, Dixon was able to apply and earn an internship with Nickelodeon and was later hired by Paramount.  

Francesca Palmeri, student leader, frequently visited and got the department to present to her classes. She obtained an internship with Enterprise Holdings, and within a month became top intern for the entire northeast coast. Palmeri now works as a professional finance advisor for the Levine Financial Group.

Austin Weitman was also a regular at the Career Development Center during his academic career, eventually interning and then working for Madison Square Garden. Weitman is now a team member at Bilt Rewards.

“When you look at the whole picture,” says Rusiewicz, “whether it’s Kutztown or Lockhaven, we’re actually one the smallest career development sectors. And though we have a similar volume of students, we meet the needs of students at the same level as other institutions with offices of five, ten or even twelve staff members.”

Whether it’s help with finding a job, an interview, strengthening a cover letter and resume or just determining the right path, the Career Development Center is here and ready to help you achieve your goals. 

Stop in and get to know them on the second floor of the University Center, or follow them on social media:

Instagram: @esucareerworkforce 

Linkedin: East Stroudsburg of University Office of Career and Workforce Development