A Job Well Done

The Career Center debuts renovated spaces designed to accelerate growth opportunities 

Marianna Savoca meets with students in one of the renovated conference rooms

The Division of Student Affairs continues its work to enhance student spaces across campus.

Earlier this year, the Career Center unveiled its renovations, showcasing bright and modern collaborative spaces to better help Seawolf job seekers attain their goals.

Starting with colorful wraps on the outside of the building, the images direct visitors to the new entryway, leading to an inviting lobby. New spaces include a Career Studio to encourage creation; private rooms for virtual interviews; and inspirational areas where students and alumni can leave encouraging messages. We asked Marianna Savoca, associate vice president for career readiness and experiential education and director of the Career Center, to tell us more about the renovations.

What’s new at the Career Center?
We have transformed the Career Center in almost every way — facility expansion and renovation, more staff, and new partnerships with colleges and schools to improve student access to experiential learning and opportunities to get career ready.  

How will these enhancements help students?
Our facility is now state-of-the-art. Stony Brook students and alumni deserve an elevated facility that matches the high-quality services we have been providing for 25 years. We are no longer an office with a reception desk — the vibe for our new Career Studio is all about action-taking. A “studio” is a place where people create things, such as art, music and so forth; the Career Studio is a place where students are actively creating their futures. Our Hopes & Dreams Wall is an interactive exhibit where visitors can write out their intentions and read those of others.  

Adjacent to Hopes & Dreams is the beautiful display “Alumni Words of Wisdom,” where alumni profiles and advice are highlighted. We are adding a themed section, where alumni from a variety of groups can be featured. Seeing these profiles of successful alumni and reading their words of wisdom will inspire students to reach for their dreams and persevere through difficult challenges.

Lastly, our interview rooms have been refreshed since COVID; they are equipped for virtual engagement with employers and alumni. They offer a private, quiet place for students to have an interview or professional mentoring conversation.

How can the Career Center help alumni?
Stony Brook is the only SUNY campus to offer career services for life. We have a designated senior-level career coach, Marie Parziale, who offers individual consultation and a variety of career programs for alumni at different stages of their careers — emerging/recent graduates, midcareer transitioners, encore careers/legacy work. The Career Center website is filled with information, programs and resources.

How can alumni help our students?
We are so fortunate to have alumni who want to give back, and career support is so important! Opportunities abound for mentoring, career panels, community service projects, internships, hiring and more. And you can share advice to be featured on our “Alumni Words of Wisdom” display.

If you would like to get more involved with the Career Center — either to offer advice, mentor or find students to employ — please visit stonybrook.edu/career/alumni.

The Career Center is located on the lower level of the Melville Library, at the end of the Zebra Path.