As Northwestern students and soon-to-be graduates finish up applications for summer jobs and internships this month, University Career Services is celebrating its 75th anniversary with events reflecting on the center’s evolution and history.

Career Services’ anniversary comes at a time when its services are in especially high demand. Following the 2008 economic downturn, Career Services has seen a 30 percent increase in appointments among undergraduate and graduate students as well as alumni, according to a University news release. The center recorded 7,360 individual appointments within the past year.

Career Services Executive Director Lonnie Dunlap said in a University news release the center has had to adapt its approach and techniques, as online applications and social media have completely altered the job application process and some of the skills employers now deem necessary for workplace environments.

To keep up with the fast-changing pace of technology, throughout the last 10 years Career Services has added features such as online databases like CareerCat and iNet, a national internship directory shared among 11 top universities, as well as multiple internship programs and informational sessions. The center also provides mock interview practice, job-shadowing opportunities and stipends for students who have unpaid summer internships.

The center’s anniversary celebration includes a University Library exhibit on the first floor detailing the history of UCS, which began Jan. 15 and will run through the end of the month. Additionally, the center is hosting a “Drive-In Conference” on March 1 in Norris University Center that will feature a keynote speech by Lisa Severy from the National Career Development Association and a panel of university career service directors from the Chicagoland area.

— Lauren Caruba