February 26th, 2024 | by Anna Hudak
This article was originally featured in the Echo, Augsburg’s student produced newspaper.
The transition from college to career can be an intimidating process. There are so many components that go into finding a job like creating your cover letter, writing a resume and making a good impression at your interview. For those at any stage of this process, the Strommen Center for Meaningful Work and Experience is a resource that can help. “If students are ready to apply for a job or internship, we can review resumes, cover letters, and practice interviews. If students are somewhere in the middle, we also have resources on job market trends, connections to employers for informational interviews, and more to help in the decision making process,” said Career Services Director Morgan Knutzen in an interview with the Echo.
Students have testified to the assistance of the Strommen Center as significant in their career journey. Mohamed Mohamed, a senior at Augsburg who was recently hired at UnitedHealth as a Financial Analyst, said on the Strommen Center blog, “without working with the Strommen Center in finding an internship, creating a LinkedIn [profile], polishing my resume, and attending job fairs, my placement wouldn’t have been solidified.” Last year, Augsburg student Jacob Meiners was hired as a Junior BOSS Operator for the Saint Paul Saints by Major League Baseball (MLB) and credits his experiences with the Strommen Center as a major part of his success. “I would not have been able to make this happen without the help of the Strommen Center’s resources and my professors’ knowledge of the field I have been looking to go into.”
There are many different ways the Strommen Center helps students with career development. According to Knutzen, the Strommen Center builds relationships with students through “1:1 appointments on a variety of topics like: resume writing, practice interviews, exploring what majors align with future career aspirations, exploring what jobs exist out in the market today that align with their values and passions.” For those who prefer a more communal setting, the Strommen Center collaborates with other student organizations to coordinate events to help strengthen your resume, build a LinkedIn profile, learn more about career development through an escape room experience and more! Recognizing that networking is crucial to job success, the Strommen Center also coordinates employer tablings and career/internship fairs.
As the career space develops, Knutzen explained that the Strommen Center resources develop with it by maintaining up-to-date information on trends “like using AI to help tailor your application packages and the top skills employers are looking for in recent graduates.” The Strommen Center has been going through changes too, as the new director began working there just two months ago. Despite these changes, the dedication of the Strommen Center to discovering the best ways to help students in their career journeys remains the same. Knutzen wants students to know “In the coming months, staff from the Strommen Center will be reaching out to students to help us design the future of the Strommen Center. We want to hear your voice so keep an eye out for invitations into this process.”