Many students participate in activities sponsored by the Penn State Career Services office, but a recent survey shows that most students are unaware of what programs Career Services offers.

Betty Moore, senior analyst and director of student affairs research and assessment, said the survey was conducted at the request of Jack Rayman, the director of Career Services.

The results were not a surprise, she said, adding that they confirmed what Rayman had suspected -- most students were unfamiliar with its services.

Career Services can help students refine their career options, choose majors, find internships, write resumes, learn how to interview, and consider graduate school.

The survey will provide valuable feedback for the department, enabling it to make more student-friendly decisions regarding staffing, marketing and office hours for next year, Moore said.

Data gathered for the survey concluded that most students would prefer Career Services to offer evening hours, particularly on Wednesday nights. Because of this, Rayman said, Career Services will consider expanding its hours as well as the staffing and programs offered during those hours.

A larger number of minority students reported participating in Career Services workshops and classes, which Rayman said did not surprise him.

Career Services offers many multicultural programs such as the Multicultural Internship Program and National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which help draw more minority students to the office, he said.

Rayman added that he hopes to accomplish the same with all students through better, clearer marketing.

The opening of a new building specifically for Career Services will do immeasurable good, as will creating a specific "look" for fliers and brochures published by the office, Rayman said.

Christina MacGill, associate director of career programming, said she hopes to tailor the career services office to satisfy students' needs.

"A significant number of students don't know about us," she said. "Clearly, we want that to change in the coming years." She also said she was happy to see such a large participation rate by students. The information provided will be helpful and students should continue to send feedback, she said.

"It is very important for students to keep sharing their thoughts," she said. "Without their input, we may make decisions contrary to their wants and needs." Rayman echoed MacGill's sentiments, saying, "If we don't know what they (students) want, we can't provide adequate service." The Career Services office and interview center, which are located in the Boucke and McAllister buildings respectively, can be difficult to locate, making it challenging to spread awareness of what they have to offer, Rayman said. He hopes to conduct a similar survey a year from now and see a rise in student awareness and participation in Career Service activities because of the data gathered through this survey, he said.