Students pursue higher education and advanced degrees for
many reasons. Getting a job or advancing in a career are some of the top
reasons that consistently show up in surveys.
The University of Illinois Springfield provides various
resources and services to help students find jobs when they graduate. The UIS
Career Development Center is one of those resources. We have a team of
professionals and peer advisers who help students identify, understand and
communicate their strengths and abilities in ways that increase students’
competitiveness in their job search. We also help students connect with
potential employers via multiple job posting platforms, job fairs on campus and
online and various networking activities throughout the year. In addition to
helping students get jobs when they graduate, we track where they are in their
career journey one year after graduation.
The UIS Career Outcomes Report highlights career outcomes
for bachelor’s and master’s level graduates who respond to a survey a year
after graduation. In the 2022-23 academic year, UIS conferred 661 undergraduate
degrees and 505 master’s degrees. Of those who obtained an undergraduate
degree, 46.5% are working full time, 31.8% are continuing their education and
6.2% are unemployed and seeking employment. Of those who earned a master’s
degree, 78.9% are working full time, 7.5% are continuing their education and
8.7% are unemployed and seeking employment. To read the full report or view
reports from previous years, please visit go.uis.edu/CareerOutcomes.
The annual reports help us provide information to students
as we help them with their career journey. UIS offers degree-granting programs
in four colleges: the College of Business and Management, College of Health,
Science and Technology, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and College
of Public Affairs and Education. Because of the range of degrees we grant, our
graduates enter many different segments of the workforce. Some of our 2024
graduates who have already obtained employment include:
• Maxine Touchette, who obtained a bachelor’s degree in
psychology and visual arts and now works as a communications associate at the
Illinois Environment Council (IEC) in Springfield.
• Chance Gilbreth, who obtained a master’s in athletic
training and now works as an athletic trainer at Emory Healthcare in Johns
Creek, Georgia.
• Jessica Lister, who obtained a bachelor’s in education and
now works as a first-grade teacher in the Pikeland School District in
Pittsfield.
• Adam Krall, who obtained a master’s in history and now
works as a historic site interpreter at the Historic Sites of Springfield
within the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
While we enjoy highlighting our graduates and where their
careers take them, we know that a degree does not automatically result in a job
or immediate career advancement. When some people hear “Career Development
Center,” they think the center places people in jobs, but that's not what we
do. We collaborate with students and recent grads to help them identify and/or
clarify what they want to pursue, develop a plan for how to get there, identify
tools and resources to implement their plan and utilize and integrate what's
needed to pursue their goal. We also help them adapt, pivot and consider
multiple paths when appropriate.
Many people think that the Career Development Center is only
for students who are about to graduate; however, to get the most from our
services and resources, students can begin using the Career Development Center
as early as their first semester and continue using us for about six months
after graduation.
Our annual Foot in the Door Job Fair occurs the first week
of the fall semester and helps students seek part-time, internship and
volunteer opportunities and/or begin networking, researching and interacting
with employers. Throughout their time at UIS, we work with students based on
where they are in their career journey and what they need to move forward. That
may include helping them understand characteristics of themselves, such as
strengths, interests, values and decision-making patterns; identifying what
classes, experiences and resources are needed; or helping them determine
whether getting a job, starting a business, conducting research or pursuing
graduate school is the best fit for them. We also provide help with resumes and
other job search documents, interview preparation and other forms of
self-marketing. Our services and resources are provided both on campus and
online so that, as much as possible, each student gets assistance in the manner
that best fits their location, their preference for how to interact and their
availability.
I am proud to be part of our students’ career journeys and
to witness their successes. Helping them achieve their dreams is incredibly
rewarding. There is little more fulfilling than seeing a student reach their
goals with the support of the Career Development Center.
Katherine “Kathyy” Battee-Freeman is the director of the UIS Career Development Center.
