Tag Archives: PUC Career and Counseling Center

PUC Offers the College Support You Need

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Starting college can be challenging, but at Pacific Union College, we have great resources in place to help students succeed. There are several invaluable resources and support services at your disposal when you’re a PUC student and if you’re struggling with something, it’s important to remember you aren’t alone. There are people in place who are available to answer your questions or provide you with additional information—you just need to ask for help.

What tutoring is available at PUC?

Yes! Our Teaching & Learning Center offers free group tutoring in over 25 different subjects, ranging from business to languages to science. Most lower-division GE courses have tutoring options available. If you’re struggling with a class but don’t see a tutoring option available, talk with the helpful TLC staff and they can set you up with a small group or an individual tutor. There’s also a writing lab available to students who would like input and direction on writing papers—it’s a great service and one you should absolutely take advantage of!

Learn more about the Teaching & Learning Center.

What can I do at the library besides study and check out books?

In the age of Google, a lot of people think libraries are obsolete, but that’s definitely not the case! At PUC’s Nelson Memorial Library, books reside there of course, but also online databases, academic search engines, journal articles, and periodicals. Through the library, students have access to over 30,000 journals and 100,000 ebooks, and over four million books through interlibrary loan services. If you need to use a computer, there are also about 60 public workstations available within the library and the computer lab areas, along with large group study rooms if you need a place to study with friends for that Anatomy test. There are also very knowledgeable librarians available to help you navigate all of these resources, so don’t be afraid to ask for help!

Get helpful tips for using PUC’s library.

Is there someone who can help me with registering for classes?

Once you’re a student at PUC, you will be assigned an advisor in the area you’re studying. For example, if you’re planning to study business, your advisor will be a professor in the department of business (helpful, right?). Your advisor knows the ins and outs of their department’s programs and will be a valuable source for any questions you have about what classes you should take, what major you should consider for your career path, and more. Every quarter your advisor will need to approve your schedule, which is a great safety net for making sure you stay on track to complete your degree! For undecided students, the TLC has an undeclared student advisor who will work with you on what general education classes to take while you figure out what to major in.

If I don’t know what I want to study, is there someone at PUC who can help me?

Some of you may not know what you plan to study yet, and PUC’s Career & Counseling Center can help you figure out the path you want to be on. They have a career counselor who can give you a career test and one-on-one help with career counseling. If already you have an idea of what career you want but aren’t sure how to get there, they can help you with your resume, cover letter, and even conduct some mock job interviews with you. There’s also an annual Career Fair, held every winter quarter, where you can meet with professionals from many different industries to network and learn more about the possibilities available after college. It’s a great event to provide you with a chance to see how your education at PUC can help you continue on to new and exciting places.

Meet Sydney Johnson, PUC’s career counselor.

What services are there if I get sick?

Did you know PUC has a free health clinic available to students? It’s true! Health Services provides students with a wide array of services, including appointments with a physician, physician’s assistant, or a nurse, along with medications (both prescription and over-the-counter), medical supplies, and diagnostic in-clinic testing. The Health Services clinic strives to be a welcoming professional place offering the highest quality of care possible, and wants your experience here at PUC to be a happy and healthy one! We are so thankful to have the clinic on our campus to provide our students with excellent care when they need it.

Get to know PUC’s Health Services clinic.

If you have questions about the student resources and support services available to PUC students, you can talk with one of our knowledgeable admissions counselors, who can give you more information. Call (800) 862-7080, option 2 or email admissions@puc.edu to get connected with a counselor now.

Get to Know PUC’s Career & Counseling Center

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By Becky St. Clair

For most of us, major life changes (such as starting college) bring stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and fear. This is normal. So is not really knowing what to do about it.

For PUC students, help is only a short walk across campus. The Career & Counseling Center provides students with a variety of services to help you get your feet under you, regain your confidence, and step bravely into the next phase of your life. Here’s what you need to know:

There’s nothing wrong with seeing a counselor.

Most students who utilize counseling services at PUC do so in order to work through some problem areas that are disrupting their lives in some way. There’s nothing embarrassing about seeking guidance from someone who can help you find sure footing in an unsure situation; in fact, it’s wise to utilize the resources available to you.

Seeking counseling isn’t a sign of weakness.

Those of us raised in individualistic societies (such as the U.S.) find it very difficult to seek help, even when we know we need it. Confronting (or even admitting) problem areas and taking responsibility for your life takes a great deal of emotional and psychological strength.

Counseling isn’t expensive.

In fact, at PUC, it’s free! While the usual rate for counseling services is $75-$125 per hour (or more!), the Career & Counseling Center provides short-term counseling (1-6 sessions) free of charge to PUC students.

PUC counselors are professionals.

They’re not just pretend, and they’re not here for show. All of the counselors in the Career & Counseling Center are certified and have legitimate counseling experience out in the “real world” beyond the borders of PUC and Angwin.

The Career & Counseling Center can help you look good to employers.

The “career” part of the center’s name comes into play in a huge way. PUC’s career counselor is available for students to discuss career options, self-assessments, goals, and job-seeking strategies. The center provides resources for developing effective interview and resume-writing skills, how to write cover letters, and more.

They can also help you get a job.

The career counselor arranges for recruiters from professional schools, businesses, industries, technological firms, and other organizations regularly visit PUC to interview graduating seniors for work opportunities. The annual internship fair connects students with potential internships both locally and at home—internships that could potentially turn into jobs.

You can decide on a career path.

It’s not a lost cause, and it’s not impossible. Our career counselor can administer several assessments for personality, skills, interests, and potential career tracks. With this information in hand, you and your counselor can determine the future that best suits your passions, values, and skills.

You’re still in control.

The counselors’ job is to listen to your concerns, frustrations, and struggles, then help you explore solutions or directions. Once you have chosen your goal, your counselor will help you get there.

To schedule an appointment or to simply learn more about the resources available to you, contact the Career & Counseling Center by calling (707) 965-7080 or emailing either career@puc.edu or counseling@puc.edu.

We’re Here to Help!

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There are several invaluable academic resources at your disposal when you’re a PUC student and if you’re struggling with something, it’s important to remember you aren’t alone. There are people in place who are available to answer your questions or provide you with additional information — you just need to ask for help.

Professor Levi Gore instructs students in class.

Professor Levi Gore instructs students in class.

Your Professors
One of the advantages of attending a smaller college like PUC is forming real relationships with your professors. With a student-teacher ratio of 13:1, that means your teacher will actually know your name and who you are.

Most professors give out their email address and their home number at the start of each quarter and can help you outside of class with any questions you have about assignments. Professors also have regular office hours (at least 10 hours per week!) where they’re available for students to stop by and talk with as well.

Your Advisor
You will be assigned an advisor in the area you’re studying. For example, if you’re planning to study Business, your advisor will be a professor in the Business Department (helpful, right?). Your advisor knows the ins and outs of their department’s programs and will be a valuable source for any questions you have about what classes you should take, what major you should consider for your career path, and more. Every quarter your advisor will need to approve your schedule, which is a great safety net for making sure you stay on track to complete your degree!

TLC

Jennifer Wareham Best at the TLC helps a student.

The Teaching and Learning Center
The Teaching and Learning Center offers free group tutoring for more than 25 different courses. If you’re struggling with a class but don’t see a tutoring option available, talk with the TLC and they can set you up with a small group or an individual tutor.

If you’re nervous or embarrassed at the thought of seeking out a tutor, don’t be! As an English and History major, one of my most difficult classes was Intro to Statistics (math and I don’t get along), but I was too proud to admit I needed help for several weeks. When I eventually went to a tutoring session at the TLC I was surprised to find many of the top students in the class there, as well. Their great grades were a product of seeking help when they needed it!

The Career and Counseling Center
Some of you may not know what you want to study yet, and our Career and Counseling Center can help you figure out the path you should be on. They have a career counselor who can give you a career test and one-on-one help with career counseling. If already you have an idea of what career you want but aren’t sure how to get there, they can help you with your resume, cover letter, and even conduct some mock job interviews with you.

Get to Know PUC’s Career & Counseling Center

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By Laura Gore Laura-Gore
Career Counselor
Career & Counseling Center

College can be a lot of fun but is also a time of big decisions. It is a time of exploration and discovery, trying to find who you are and where you’re supposed to fit in in a lot of ways, especially socially and professionally. I see this a lot as PUC’s Career Counselor. I struggled in college with knowing what to major in and where I wanted to go with my life, but I eventually found a great fit as a social work major and now as a career counselor. That didn’t mean I had all the answers (still don’t, in case you were wondering). It also doesn’t mean I have all the answers for you. It does mean I’ve been there, and I’ve worked with a lot of students trying to figure things out over the last few years. PUC has a lot to offer as you are exploring your options and getting ready to launch as a professional. Here are a few of the things we do to help you along the way:

  • One-on-one help for career counseling, employment/internship preparation (i.e. we work on resumes and cover letters together), mock interviews, career testing, grad school personal statements, job or internship search strategies and more
  • Monthly resume clinics
  • Regular workshops on resume writing, interviewing, and job searching
  • An online job and internship board with local and national opportunities
  • On-campus recruiter visits and interviews
  • Events like the Grad School Fair and Career Day

The Grad School Fair is coming up quickly, on October 15 this year, and is open to all students. We have a wide range of schools and programs represented and it’s a great chance to see what some options after PUC might be, everything from Physical Therapy to International Relations to Anthropology.

Career Day is a special 30-some-year-old tradition at PUC where we bring professionals (usually 50-60) from all different fields to the dining commons to chat with you about what they do and how they got there—and what advice they have for you. Many of them are PUC alumni, so you can learn firsthand where your major can take you. Some are even recruiting for internships or jobs, so you never know what a connection made here can do for you.

Instead of having an Internship & Job Fair as we have had in the past, we are planning a more individualized approach with the departments and students’ interests, which is one advantage of attending a small school. We’ve already got a few recruiters planning visits this fall for interviews for internships for spring and summer, and our Business and Communication departments even have internship coordinators dedicated to helping their majors. As a PUC student you’ll have resources and I think you’ll find PUC a great place to get you ready for what’s next.

The key thing is for you to not be afraid—get out there and try things, get experience (notice the theme of a lot of recent blog posts: internships, volunteer, serve, get involved…), and take advantage of the opportunities and resources we have waiting for you here at PUC.

Check out these resources:

P.S. The Career & Counseling Center is also where you can access free, confidential counseling on a variety of issues. See our website for more information.