“Career planning ahead of time is the kind of strategic thinking that can make the difference between a ‘meh’ kind of job and a ‘wowza’ career.”
Meghan Wiedeburg
Antelope Staff
Do you have a problem but you’re not sure who to ask? Check in with the academic and career services office. They might not know the answer, but they do know how to find it.
The University of Nebraska at Kearney offers students a wide variety of services. At UNK, students can find academic support and career services in one place, ready to help them find their passion and discover the resources they need to learn.
Are you struggling with a class? Do you know who your advisor is? Can’t decide on a major? Do you need help finding a job? Not sure if you need to go to grad school?
Academic and Career Services, located in the Memorial Student Affairs Building, can help. Their office stays busy year-round with advising and career planning.
The Director of Academic and Career Services, Amy Rundstrom, said her favorite part of the job is helping students solve problems. Every student has a different path, and finding the right path can be very challenging for some students.
As far as “spring cleaning” goes for your academics, Rundstrom noted that it’s important for students to make sure they’re reading their graduation plan correctly, making sure they’ve crossed the T’s and dotted the I’s course-wise.
Rundstrom said questions and planning are important for students who aren’t graduating in May; it’s never too early to start career planning. There are different things need to be done at each stage of your education. Even as a freshman, you can start networking, hunting for information and learning more about interesting career fields.
“Career planning ahead of time is the kind of strategic thinking that can make the difference between a ‘meh’ kind of job and a ‘wowza’ career,” Rundstrom said.
Having worked at UNK for almost 19 years, Rundstrom has helped hundreds of students in their academic planning and success.
“Some students believe there is one ‘right’ path or a right/wrong way to find their path. Sometimes they need permission to think outside the box and forge their own path, and find the best way to accomplish their own goals,” Rundstrom said, “I love helping students realize this and seeing the look on their aces when they get the right help and advice.”
Rundstrom said, “This isn’t one of those high-salary career fields, but boy I’ll tell you what, the joy we all get when I help someone solve a tough problem is priceless.”
Rundstrom said she wishes more students would use services sooner, which would save them a lot of time, money and stress in the long run.
For more information, call 308-865-8501 or send a message to careerserv@unk.edu.