Murray State Career Services is transforming their office in hopes of promoting and preparing for next month’s Career Fair.
Career Services staff are hosting an interactive escape room in their office next week. Instead of common themes like jailbreaks and murder mysteries, this escape room is an educational experience meant to prepare students attending their first Murray State Career Fair. The puzzles and questions revolve around what you need to know to impress potential employers.
Tara Siress, career counselor, said the escape room will teach students how to organize a resume, assemble a professional business outfit, network with employers and practice an elevator pitch.
“We tried to create a fun way to give students skills before the fair in a series of challenges to make it fun and give a heads up on what they need to know before they approach employers,” she said. “It’s a gamification of basic information rather than just allowing them to sit and listen to a lecture.”
Siress said she used the ChatGPT and other AI programs to generate informative puzzles and riddles included for the escape room.
Christina Gill, Career Closet peer career advisor, said she is excited to participate in the escape room as a student since the Career Closet’s involvement is limited to donating clothes.
“I haven’t seen anything like this on campus before, and I can’t wait to have some fun,” Gill said.
The escape room opens at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26, and the staff will admit interested students until 4:30 p.m. Siress said using the QR code on the promotional flyer is the best way to guarantee a spot, but walk-ins are welcome.
The Career Fair consists of three events hosted in the CFSB Center: all majors fair from 2-5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11, STEM and OSH major fair from 2-5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12 and teaching and human services fair from 8 a.m to 12 p.m. Trolley services are offered back and forth between the CFSB Center and the Curris Center.
“(The Career Fair) is a great way to network and make connections for Murray State students,” Siress said. “I think it’s always great to have a vision for your future outside of being a professional student and know our office is here to help guide, support and encourage you. We are here to serve our students here at Murray State University, and we are proud to do so.”
Visit the Career Services Office at 100 Oakley Applied Sciences for the escape room, more information about the Career Fair or their standard counseling and guidance services.
