Iowa State’s Career Services program is ranked among the top 35 in the nation, according to a recent Kaplan’s College Guide study.

Beverly Madden, director of career services, said Kaplan based its list on a scientific survey of high school guidance counselors throughout the nation. A list of 35 institutions was compiled, but the schools were not numerically ranked, she said.

Madden said the quality of Iowa State’s Career Days may be one reason her office ranked so highly.

Of the twelve Career Fairs Iowa State hosts each year, the Agriculture, Business/LAS and Engineering fairs are the largest of their kind in the nation, she said.

Madden said the quality of the Career Services Web site also may have influenced the rating.

“They have provided Iowa State students with updated, wonderful services,” she said. “We get 10,000 to 15,000 hits a day.”

Heather Huntley, career development coordinator for the College of Business, said Career Services offers career development and experiential learning to students.

Career development helps people choose the right major for their interests and abilities, she said.

Experiential learning is another vital element to Career Services, Huntley said.

“You must have experience. You can’t just expect to be handed [a diploma] and get a job,” she said.

Huntley said Career Services assists students looking for internships and jobs.

“We help with r‚sum‚s, cover letters, and the job search itself,” she said.

Suzanne Bergren, senior in economics, said she used Career Services through her internship search.

“They helped me figure out cover letters and who to contact for internships,” she said. “[They] even tweaked my r‚sum‚ a lot.”

Bergren used the advice she received at Career Services to obtain an internship with the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Northeast Iowa. The internship led to a full-time position with the company.

Huntley said ISU students have a good job-placement rate in general, including the Colleges of Business and Liberal Arts and Sciences, which both have over 80 percent job placement for graduates.

Although students may perceive the job market as being smaller this year, Madden said it is probably only down two percent from last year.