Chicago is Lonnie Dunlap’s kind of town – and as the new director of University Career Services, she hopes to show students the job opportunities that exist within it.
Dunlap said she hopes to help students take advantage of the job opportunities offered by the university’s close proximity to a major urban center.
She also said she will work to introduce more students to the programs and services available at the career services office, including virtual career fairs and personal counseling.
Dunlap’s 15 years at Washington State University’s career services department, a university similar in size to NU, made her an ideal choice for the position, Vice President for Student Affairs William Banis said. Her experience helps her to mesh with the current staff of career services, he said.
“It’s a very seasoned staff and I think her management style complements the level of development of the current program and allows it to move forward,” Banis said. “She will be a consultive and collegial type of program manager and she has a good sense of revision and strategy.”
In an effort to bridge the gap between NU students searching for jobs and potential employers in Chicago, Dunlap said she wants to create contacts with new businesses in the city while maintaining ties to companies that have previously recruited students.
Dunlap also said she hopes to continue the internship, career development and on-campus interviewing areas of the department. While she plans to integrate these areas further, she said she recognizes student need for career services professionals to specialize in different disciplines, such as engineering, in order to better serve them.
“You have to gauge how you work with a department in terms of what the needs of that group is,” she said. “For students in the entertainment field, it’s different than students in the engineering field. … You really need to be able to identify what’s most relevant for that group of students.”
Banis, former career services director, said the office needs to focus on helping the students search for positions in a job market plagued by an economic downturn.
“Right now, I think students need really good counseling and consulting to help them conduct job search campaigns,” Banis said. “Behind the scenes, the staff needs to be working with employers to provide good services to employers and easy access to campus interviews and job listings.”
Dunlap said her goal is to assist students practice better time management in their job and internship searches as well as increase awareness of the office’s services among undergraduate students. She hopes to improve the service’s Web site and continue publicity efforts in order to achieve these goals.
While NU students have an advantage in the job market because of their intelligence and motivation, she said, the career services office can help students market their talents and impress potential employers.
“We help with that a lot so students can be real clear as how to translate that outside the classroom,” she said.
