Susan is an NIU sophomore and has no idea what she wants to do with the rest of her life.

She filled in “pre-business” on all documents, but now finds herself dangerously close to failing her tool courses. She glumly estimates she will graduate a year late as it is. Where does she go from here?

Paul is a graduating senior this semester, majoring in liberal arts. Once the diploma is in his hand, however, he has no idea what job he will take. What can he do?

If the above situations sound familiar, you’re not alone. Fortunately, there are people on and off-campus trained to help Susan, Paul and any other student make effective academic and career decisions.

Located in Swen Parson Hall, NIU’s Career Planning and Placement Center aims to help students land jobs after graduation. “Our philosophy is we don’t ‘get’ anyone a job. We get students to a point where they can be effective themselves,” said director Dr. Gary Scott.

“Nearly 75 percent of the graduating class at least registers or comes into this office,” he said. Before 1980, the office was so busy it broke off into three separate branches, he said.

Each branch represents three stages of career development, Scott said. The Counseling and Student Development Center strives to help students in the first stage, Exploration.

In that stage, Scott said, people drift toward something in which they are interested. The center’s professional counselors and psychologists assist students in any career-related concern.

The Cooperative Education office guides students in the second stage of Confirmation, where students actually try jobs in their major or career area. “Co-op works with students who want professional experience while they’re still students,” Scott said.

The Career Planning and Placement Center itself is responsible for the third stage, Implementation. Scott said the stage involves students of all majors who are ready to graduate. The center guides them through workshops (245 last year), resume-writing aids, “how-to” books, career and job directories, weekly job bulletins and on-campus interviews.

Scott said over 500 firms participated in on-campus interviews last year, and even more came to the center’s two job fairs. Though the center tries, not all majors are always represented. “Like any other segment of the job market, this is dictated by supply and demand. Accounting is a top attraction here and the employers are willing to come out and recruit,” he explained.

Scott said he personally would like to see more done to help students earlier in job decisions, but it is often difficult. “There are so many things going on in the job market today–some becoming obsolete, some changing and others emerging,” he said, adding the center helps more seniors than underclassmen.

Private career counseling organizations often help younger students in search of a major or others who need career direction. Career Vision, in Glen Ellyn and Highland Park, is one of those organizations.

According to Sheila Pond, director of Career Planning Services, the not-for-profit Career Vision provides comprehensive aptitude, interest and personality assessment.

The program consists of a full day of aptitude testing in 24 areas, including vocabulary, finger dexterity, spatial ability, hand grip and memory. After the results of those and the interest/personality tests are in, the client comes back for a counseling session, where specific careers are recommended and a packet of information is provided, she explained.

“Aptitude-based career planning gives students a lot of direction, focus and certainly confidence–to confirm the fact that ‘yes, I’m in the right area’,” Pond said, adding most college students graduate in five years and change majors three times.

Pond said the program costs $250, but it is money well-spent. “Look at it this way–every class you take that’s a waste of time is a heck of a lot more than $250.”

Other aptitude-based career planning organizations in the area include Johnson-O’Connor in Chicago and Freidland and Marcus on the North Shore. The Yellow Pages also list dozens of career guidance and placement organizations.

If you can identify with Susan and Paul, take heart. After all, we go to college to choose and be trained for our careers. Taking advantage of career planning centers certainly makes the process easier.