This question was posed to me by a student who happened to be walking by the office in 5 Sparks, noticed the sign on the wall, and wondered what this new office was all about. I was thrilled to see her and happy to explain that the Network is a new initiative by the College of the Liberal Arts to centralize a range of career-related services and programs into a one-stop resource for students. You may have seen Dean Long’s tweet about my arrival back in September or listened to episode 29 of Liberal Arts Voices when we talked about the Network and the vision for what it will do to help Liberal Arts students. Now that I’ve been here a few months, I thought I’d share an update on the Network and ask for your input on future directions.

I’ve learned a lot since my arrival in September — about the various Liberal Arts majors, about special opportunities like the Paterno Fellows Program, about student organizations like LAUC and Envoys, and so much more. I’ve met representatives from every department — faculty, advisers, administrators, and students. And throughout it all, I have been incredibly impressed with the commitment and passion everyone has for helping Liberal Arts students to realize their amazing potential as they explore the wide range of career opportunities available to them. I don’t think there has ever been a better time to be a Liberal Arts student at Penn State, and I’m excited to be part of the Network.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook 2012 survey results illustrate that employers are seeking many of the skills Liberal Arts graduates acquire through their educational experiences — the ability to work in teams; to communicate effectively; to make decisions and solve problems; to obtain and process information; and to plan, organize, and prioritize work. Employers recognize the importance of these skill sets, and they also know from direct experience that not all job candidates have them. Liberal Arts graduates do.

So the Network’s aim is to assist Liberal Arts students with applying and further developing their skills through internships, undergraduate research, and study abroad experiences. And here are a few things to watch for in Spring 2012:

• Implementation of a new web-based software system (Symplicity CSM) will start, which will be a great resource Liberal Arts students seeking internships. Students can create a profile, upload a resume for review, book an appointment with a Network staff member, and search for internships – all in this one system. Liberal Arts students should watch their email in-boxes for a message asking them to get started with the system by logging into the site and completing a profile.

• Two additional staff members – a Program Coordinator and an Assistant Director – will be joining me in 5 Sparks. We all will be available to meet with students one-on-one and to answer questions about preparing and applying for internships, making the most of a mentor relationship, searching various study abroad options, etc.

• Part-time Network Assistants will be joining us to help with outreach to Liberal Arts students. They will be Liberal Arts Envoys who are trained to serve as peer career coaches, helping with resume reviews, interview skills questions, and referrals to available resources, and the new software system.

As with any new initiative, there are a million and one things to do and still only 24 hours in the day. To make sure we’re prioritizing to really meet Liberal Arts students’ most immediate needs, I’d love to hear from you about one or two things you hope the Network will do during the Spring semester. Comments to this post would be most welcome, or you can contact me directly at sek104@psu.edu.