MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The September edition of Middle Tennessee State University’s “Out of the Blue” television magazine showcases how the Career Development Center serves students and alumni as they transition from university life to the workplace.

Career Development Center Director Beka Moore and Elisha Lawrence, career advisor, stopped by the “Out of the Blue” set to discuss the resources the center offers and the upcoming career fair.

Watch the full segment below with host Andrew Oppmann, vice president of the university’s Division of Marketing and Communications.

“The Career Development Center is meant to serve all students and alumni to be career ready — whether somebody is trying to figure out what to major in, or they want to change their major, to being prepped for a job or an internship — we walk alongside them to be prepared,” Moore said.

The center advises students to visit its offices in Room 328 of Keathley University Center at the beginning of their academic careers in order to use and apply those resources by their junior or senior year. But any student, regardless of age or class, or alumni can utilize the center and its services.

“Self-exploration is where a lot of students are starting, especially if they don’t know what they want to major in, so we’ll help them figure that out,” Lawrence said. “Sometimes, it is as granular as a resume or a cover letter. Often, it’s learning about job search and how to find jobs.”

The center uses exposure-experience mapping that coincides with the student’s academic map to determine what experience they need to complement their academics, Moore explained.

The Career Leadership Badge Program was recently launched by the center as a free program that allows students to access career resources asynchronously, Lawrence said.

The center offers resources for all majors, allowing students to curate the materials they need for their major and desired career.

“We have enough things in it that students can say, well, if I’m a creative and I really should be making an e-portfolio, I can do that and create my own work,” Lawrence said. “Whereas a student who’s in business, you need an internship. So, they can kind of pick the things that make most sense for them and are most helpful for them.”

This year’s Fall Career Fair for all majors is noon to 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, in the Campus Recreation Center. Last year, the fair had 180 employers with 1,200 students who engaged with those employers, and the campus community as a whole hosted 520 employers and over 2,000 students throughout the year, Moore said.

“Many students leave with jobs, with internships for the next summer even. So, it’s an incredible opportunity to interface with employers,” Lawrence said.

“Out of the Blue” is available anytime on the university’s YouTube channel, the True Blue TV channel, Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. It also airs on Murfreesboro cable Channel 9 daily at 6 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; NewsChannel5+ at 3:30 p.m. Sundays (6:30 p.m. after Sept. 16); and streamed on the MTSU Jazz Network through WMOT.org at 7 a.m. on the first Sunday of each month.

It is also available on other cable outlets in Middle Tennessee, so check local listings. 

It is also available as a podcast on iTunes and Google Play and as individual interview segments on Spotify at https://spoti.fi/453hxg3. 

Watch previous episodes of “Out of the Blue” at https://mtsunews.com/out-of-the-blue. 

— Maddy Williams (Maddy.Williams@mtsu.edu)