As students begin thinking about majors, internships and life after graduation, the Samford University Career Development Center is ready to help at every stage. In this Q&A, Dora Ditchfield, director of the Career Development Center, and Julie Boyd, director of parent and family engagement, discuss when students should first visit the center, how advisors guide those who are unsure about their major, and the many resources available—from resume reviews and mock interviews to internship support and alumni networking. They also share practical ways parents can encourage students to take ownership of their career planning and make the most of Samford’s personalized advising.

Dora, we are so thankful for all the ways the staff at the Career Development Center support our students.  We are your biggest fans!  Often, parents who call us want to know, "When should my student start visiting the center?"

It really depends on the student but, in general, we encourage them to come their freshmen year. It’s especially important for students who don’t have a major, are unsure if they are in the right major, or perhaps love their major but aren’t sure what they want to do with it.

How does the center help students who are unsure of their major?

One of our staff members specializes in helping students choose, change, or explore majors, using assessments, resources created by our office specifically for Samford students, external resources, and more. She’s been doing this for decades and is phenomenal, as evidenced by how many students hear about the major-decision assistance we offer from their friends or classmates who have used our office.

How would you encourage parents to help their student take ownership of this process?

I would ask parents to really encourage their students to make an appointment with our office early on to start tapping into our expertise. So, if they hear ambivalence from their student about a chosen major (or lack thereof), or the uncertainty about how to find an internship or job, or thoughts about applying to graduate school, parents should encourage them to call our office at 205-726-2980 or stop by our office in DBH 217 to schedule an appointment. We help with all of those things and much more. Students are so involved at Samford and beyond, and we really want to help them understand and articulate the importance of those activities in shaping their futures. For those students who don’t know how to gain related experience, we’re here for that, too!

 Does Samford offer job shadowing programs?  How does Career Development Center help students secure internships?

We don’t have a formal job shadowing program, but we do work one-on-one with students to identify alumni or employers of interest, coach them on reaching out to them, do mock interviews, and more. For internships, we work with employers who have formalized internship programs, help guide employers who want to create an internship program for the first time, maintain a robust job board that has opportunities (currently there are 3,690 of them!), and host career fairs. The value of connecting with professionals through informational interviewing, job shadowing, and internships cannot be overstated. They allow students to explore careers and see what they are really like, helping them either realize it’s not what they want to do or confirming their original career ideas and giving them valuable experience.

Our seniors are near the finish line!  What services are available for resume writing, cover letters, and interview preparation?

We work with them on all of those topics! Of course, we encourage students to start using our services and tap into our expertise before their senior year, but we’ll start working with them any time during their years at Samford and beyond. We will work with them on making sure their resumes persuasively portray their experiences, offer mock interviews, help them with the job and graduate school search, and more. Thirty-five percent or more of our students pursue graduate education after Samford, so we typically start working with those on that process prior to their senior year. One thing that is special about Samford and our office is that professional staff, not graduate students or peer counselors, are the ones working with students from day one.

Does Samford have a strong alumni network that can help with the job search?  

Samford alumni are proud of their alma mater and so willing to give back. When we work with students who want to do informational interviews to gain knowledge and exposure to careers, alumni are our first “go-to” resource, and we help students find and connect with them, typically through LinkedIn, coach them on how to reach out, questions to ask, etc.

Are career services available for my student after they graduate?

Yes! All of our services are available to graduate students and alumni as well, and there is no limit to the number of times we will meet with them.

Learn more about the Career Development Center