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Career Counseling
The NDSU Counseling Center provides a confidential setting in which students may explore concerns of a personal, academic, or career-related nature; makes referrals; and serves as consultants for faculty and staff.
Career Support Services
Career decision-making is a process that involves time, self-study, and planning. Too often, it is assumed that a decision regarding a career or educational major can be made quickly or on the basis of some test. Instead, students need to develop their ability to make good decisions, clarify their understanding of themselves, and enrich their knowledge of work possibilities in the world. When students develop these career planning skills, they are in a better position to make informed decisions regarding their educational majors and potential careers.
Accessing Services
Professionally-trained counselors assist students individually regarding
vocational and educational concerns.
The Career Decision Making Process
Every semester, one-credit, pass-fail sections of career planning (EDUC 124) are offered. These classes are excellent for students who need in-depth, comprehensive guidance in the career decision-making process. They are offered for one hour of pass-fail credit (look under Education in the Registration Schedule).
A library of materials is available for students to obtain information
regarding career opportunities. Counseling staff, including a graduate
assistant, are available to assist students in using these materials.
Library materials include Dictionary of Occupational Titles, Occupational
Outlook Handbook, Encyclopedia of Career, Vocational Biographies,
and numerous books, pamphlets, and brochures. In addition, information
on other educational institutions can be obtained through books,
computer programs and web sites in the career resource center. Information
on programs at various colleges, universities, trade schools, and
technical schools is available. Also, information is available
on graduate programs, medical, dental, veterinary, and law schools.
CHOICES PLANNER Career Guidance System
NDSU students now have access to the online Choices Planner Career Guidance System, which helps students explore career possibilities independently. The Choices Planner system can assist with exploring career direction, or learning about graduate schools or different careers. The first time you visit the site, you will need to click on "create a new portfolio". In order to do this, call the Counseling Center at 231-7671 or stop by Ceres 212 to ask for a the Site ID and password. Then visit www.bridges.com Career counselors are available to help you with your career decision.
The Counseling Center is located at 212 Ceres Hall. Regular hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm. Summer hours are Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm.
Unless you are in crisis, we suggest that you schedule an appointment in advance. To make an appointment, you may call the Counseling Center at 231-7671 and specify that you wish to make an appointment for career counseling.
If you have not been here before, you will be scheduled for an initial meeting with a career counselor. During this initial session, the career counselor will listen to your concerns, obtain information about you, assess your needs, and discuss available resources. Career counseling with a member of the counseling staff and/ or other referral possibilities may be arranged.
If you have been here before and are already working regularly with a particular counselor, the front desk staff will schedule an appointment for you or will have your counselor call you back to schedule the appointment.
Students with concerns of an emergency nature can be seen on a walk-in basis. Walk-in services are between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday (7:30 a.m.- 4 p.m. during the summer).
If you are an NDSU student in crisis after hours, or over a weekend or holiday, please call our main number, 231-7671. During the academic year, your call will be taken by our answering service and assistance will be offered. For crises outside our office hours during summer and school breaks, please call the 24-hour FirstLink hotline at 235-7335.
We discourage people from contacting us via e-mail regarding personal problems. The nature of e-mail is such that we cannot guarantee the confidentiality of your correspondence, nor do we find e-mail communications as useful as in-depth, face-to-face contact. Moreover, we cannot guarantee that we will read e-mail right away or respond in a timely fashion.