Last year, the STAR reported the Sonoma State University’s Career Services as the smallest in the California State University system with only one career adviser to serve a student body of more than 9,000. While Career Services still remains small compared to other universities across the state, Sonoma State now has one more full-time career adviser, made possible by a grant funded from the California State University system.

Carrie Klaphake was hired by Sonoma State in June and works as a full-time career adviser in the campus career center. Over the summer, Klaphake went through in-depth training on how to improve the career center and make it a better resource for Sonoma State students.

Klaphake, originally from Minnesota, worked in her university’s career center while in college and credits her interest in a career in higher education to the job she held while pursuing her degree.

“Being a career adviser, I have experience working with different platforms within the student affairs realm,” said Klaphake. “I have experience in networking with employers to try to bring employers to campus to connect students with.”

New to the university, Klaphake hopes to be able to connect students with potential employers and assist students with networking and forming connections with companies.

“Not only is my communication helping students but it’s also connecting employers to our students and building those relationships,” said Klaphake.

Professor of communication and media studies Elizabeth Burch sees the Career Center as a resource students should take advantage of often throughout their college careers.

“The best thing students can do is to access the center’s materials on writing resumes and cover letters, conducting interviews, and researching job opportunities,” said Burch. “Unfortunately, students often don’t understand the basics of writing a simple killer resume.”

As far as the most important thing students can do in their college career, Klaphake advises students to never give up on their dreams and be clear in their goals and future ambitions.

“I think goal setting within the career realm is extremely important,” said Klaphake. “Students have the perseverance, creativity and the drive to do whatever they want. [Set goals] to achieve those dreams no matter how far and in between they might be.”

Matthew Goodin, student services senator in Associated Students, sees the Career Center as a place students should visit often during their time at Sonoma State. He hopes an additional adviser will offset the workload the center has had in the past.

“I think the Career Center has a high demand,” said Goodin. “One more staff member will help the overload the [center had last year].”

In regard to the one-year grant that allowed the university to hire another adviser, Goodin hopes Sonoma State will bring on more advisers in the future and renew this year’s grant.

“[The university] got a one-year grant to bring on another career services adviser,” said Goodin. “As a student, I hope [the university] will notice that the second adviser helps the career center, so hopefully we can get that grant again.”