WEST PLAINS, Mo. – A name change and a new coordinator are just two of the changes taking place in the former career services office at Missouri State University-West Plains.

Now called the Career Development Center, full-time coordinator Jared Cates hopes to expand the services provided to students and community members to better reflect their growing interest in developing career options as they enter higher education programs such as those offered by Missouri State-West Plains.

“Career development is more than just finding a job after completing your degree, so expanding services for our students is a high priority for us this academic year,” said Cates, a graduate of Missouri State-West Plains.

Currently, students can find career exploration and assessment services, support for determining their interests and academic major, listings of part-time and full-time jobs in the area, a list of volunteer opportunities, internship options, and help in preparing for job searches, interviews and beginning a career.

Office staff also participate in other career readiness events such as the annual Career Fair and Teacher Placement Day, the latter of which is co-hosted with Missouri State University’s Teacher Education Completion Program offered on the Missouri State-West Plains campus.

Cates said he hopes to expand on those services during the coming academic year.  “To highlight some of our goals, we hope to enhance the center’s website and turn our new office location in Looney Hall Room 105 into an environment that provides exceptional service to all visitors to help them begin a successful career pathway,” he explained.

“We also plan to create new Facebook and Twitter accounts to give students the chance to learn more about current job, internship and volunteer opportunities and to connect to our office, our campus community and the greater West Plains community,” he added.

In addition, Cates said he’s hoping to create a Resumé Madness event, in which center staff will review student resumés and provide tips in strengthening their effectiveness, and joining the TRiO Student Support Services office in its annual Etiquette Dinner, designed to help students develop proper etiquette and job interviewing skills.

All of the services offered in the Career Development Center are free and available to community members, as well as students, and Cates encourages area residents who are considering a career change to stop by his office to explore their options.  The center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays in Looney Hall, 128 Garfield Ave., in West Plains.

Cates graduated from Missouri State-West Plains with an Associate of Arts in General Studies with a Specialization in Honors in 2010 and transferred to Missouri State University in Springfield, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in December 2012 and a Master of Science in Student Affairs in Higher Education degree this past May.

“I am very humbled and excited to be serving back in my hometown,” he said.  “I am eager to collaborate with Missouri State-West Plains faculty and staff and West Plains employers to learn ways that will best serve students in helping them establish a successful career pathway.  It will be a priority of mine to market the Career Development Center’s services in a variety of ways so we can reach a diverse population of students.  I also hope to interact with students in the classroom, in university-sponsored events and in the community.”

“I am very excited to see the upcoming changes in our focus on career development for the students of Missouri State-West Plains,” said Dr. Angela Totty, dean of student services.  “Each student has an aspect of career development for which they need assistance, and we are hopeful the changes in our programming and location will encourage our students to seek out that assistance.”

For more information about the Career Development Center, call 417-255-7230 or visit http://wp.missouristate.edu/Career/.