Liberal Arts for Life

"Liberal arts education is the education of responsible agents for the vocation of life itself, life in all its parts and as a whole, which includes the career mobility of one's entire lifetime."  

The above quote is from Arthur Holmes’ book The Idea of a Christian College, and communicates a truth that is central to our mission.  We believe that it is necessary for our students to be able to fully understand and clearly articulate the truth of this statement in a variety of settings to a variety of people. Houghton College has a number of programs and services designed to help Houghton students understand the breadth and the depth of their Houghton education and translate this understanding to prospective employers.

Program Outcome
Individual Career Coaching Aids students in identifying transferrable skills and abilities both in themselves and those developed through their education.  Individual career coaching is available by appointment.
Academic Advising Meetings with academic advisors are about more than just making wise decisions about which courses to take.  Houghton’s size means more one-on-one time with advisors to help plot a course for both graduate school and career
Resume Writing Help Writing a resume is an extremely effective means of articulating transferrable skills gained inside and outside of the classroom, and targeting these skills to a particular job/employer.  Help is available individually or in group seminars.
Mock Interviews Job interviews are the ultimate test of a student’s ability to translate the value of the Houghton education to an employer, and there is no better preparation than a mock interview.  Mock interviews are available by appointment.
Annual Alumni Career Fair Speaking in person to individuals from different professions is an excellent means to make connections between a student’s skills and abilities and positions in the world of work.  It is also helpful for students to see the accomplishments of other Houghton alumni.
Alumni Mentoring Hearing how a Houghton education has benefited alumni in their careers helps students understand the value of their own experience.  Students can seek out an alumni mentor through Career Services.
Houghton Job Shop Once a student is ready to connect with employers, the Houghton Job Shop is a place where students can search jobs, post resumes, and connect with prospective employers.  The Job Shop is also our resource for alumni mentoring.
Alumni Ambassadors Houghton has more than 18,000 alumni who live in every U.S. state and 66 countries.  When our graduates want to search for jobs in a particular region or get an offer for a job or graduate school, alumni in the area are a wonderful resource.  Students can contact Career Services to help them craft a message that is then sent to Houghton alumni.