Starting this year, Pitt will assign all incoming students a career consultant that will help… Starting this year, Pitt will assign all incoming students a career consultant that will help students build and refine their postcollegiate plans.

The career consultant program will work similarly to the School of Arts and Sciences advising center, said Barb Juliussen, associate director of Pitt’s Career Development Office. Consultants will work with students one on one, through a combination of appointments, walk-ins, e-mails and online chats.

Pitt won’t have to hire new employees to provide the new service.

The 10 career consultants are already on the career development staff, alongside four employer development specialists. The two groups will shift their focus from working with just seniors to assisting freshmen, sophomores and first-semester juniors.

“We want students to be connected with employers from the very beginning, not just late in their junior or senior years,” Juliussen said. “This is part of a larger trend at Pitt, steered by Chancellor Mark Nordenberg and the provosts.”

Juliussen said the University is responding to pressure from parents and students to develop a more effective career development strategy.

“Parents want to see their kids going into school with a path in mind, and we have responded to that,” Juliussen said. “We’re taking a closer look at our office and creating something truly effective and helpful.”

Cheryl Finlay, director of Pitt’s Office of Student Employment and Placement Assistance, said she hopes such an initiative could help Pitt graduates succeed in today’s economy.

Her office collects placement and continuing education data on each graduating class for six months after graduation. They are eager to see whether these changes will have an impact on future graduates.

SEPA recently surveyed the students graduating from the Class of 2010 who attended the University’s commencement ceremony, creating a potential backdrop for judging the career consultants success.

“It pleased us to see that 47 percent of the graduates had secured employment or were accepted to a graduate program at the time they got their degree,” Finlay said. “We have found that the other half of students are very aware of the options they have after receiving their undergraduate degree.”

In addition to seeking jobs, 60 percent of those students surveyed are considering attending graduate school. Finlay is eager about the career consultant programs potential impact on these statistics.

“Overall, the Class of 2009 was very successful following their career goals,” she said. “Eighty-seven percent of last year’s graduates were able to secure jobs, continue their education or serve in the military or a volunteer program. We want to push that figure even higher.”