Center for Careers and Transfer office provides opportunities beyonds campus

Samantha Longton

Staff Writer

The Center for Careers and Transfer (CCT) provides students with counseling that helps them plan for their future after Hudson Valley. The CCT is located on the second floor of the Siek Campus Center.

“I started out at a community college myself. I was a good student but I didn’t know what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. I got a lot of help trying to navigate the whole process and I wanted to do that for other students,” said Center for Careers and Transfer counselor Annie Garwood.

“When you graduate from Hudson Valley you have two choices: you get a job or you transfer to another school to continue your education,” said Garwood. The CCT is available to students who need assistance with transferring, interview preparation, resume enhancement, on and off campus career opportunities, and much more.

The counselors have also given students advice on choosing and studying in a certain major program. “I went there a couple times when I was switching my major,” said Dan Fisher, bioscience major. The counselors there helped him choose the right path for focusing on his major. “They gave me the idea of what I can do,” said Fisher.

The departments, originally two separate facilities, were known as the Center for Careers and Employment and the Center for Counseling and Transfer, but were combined and renamed to Center for Careers and Transfer in August.

“We made the decision in late August, so only a few weeks before school. We’re still [transitioning],” said Garwood. There are currently four employees in the department. Director Gayle Healy, counselor Annie Garwood, coordinator for job location and development Melissa Melucci, and secretary Susan Smith.

The counselors give advice to students on the transfer process, show how to fill out applications, and begin to get the students thinking about what they want to do in the future. “It’s never too early to start the process,” said Garwood.

She also said that main thing colleges look for in transfer students are the grades. Students need to have good grades to have more options when it comes to continuing their education at four year schools.

Garwood said that the counselors at the center see more than 200 students per month seeking out assistance in career and transfer planning. They are trying to accommodate appointments as many as they can but as the semester comes to a close the open time slots are getting tight. She said that next semester they plan on hiring more counselors to accommodate the growing number of Hudson Valley students.

The Center for Careers and Transfer also hosts events like the part time job fair and the transfer fair on campus. They schedule on campus college and career recruiters so students can begin networking and planning their future.

The previous transfer fair, held in Fall 2015, had about 87 different representatives and colleges that came to make connections with students looking to transfer out to a four year school. The counselors maintain connections with various SUNY and private colleges.

The CCT provides job opportunities to students on campus. Jefri Nazri, individual studies major, got a job as an orientation leader and tour guide on campus through the CCT. “I had a job interview this past summer and I was very nervous about it. The CCT helped me build up more confidence before going to my job interview by providing me with a ‘mock interview’ to prep for mine,” said Nazri.

“It’s hard enough to get a job as it is so getting help on campus is always nice,” said Carson Harris, engineering science student. Harris plans on using the center to help him take the right steps to transfer to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in nearby Troy.

Although the department is based on campus, some programs and utilities they provide are open to people who aren’t students. Garwood said that the center helps Hudson Valley alumni perfect resumes and prepare for professional job interviews. They also provide counseling for high school students who are interested in furthering their education at Hudson Valley.

Garwood said that her favorite part of her job is helping students choose a professional path. She plans to continue working with the Center for Careers and Transfer and hopes that the center will expand so it can accommodate the growing Hudson Valley student body.