Set amid bright purple and green walls, modern-looking maple furniture built by local woodwork shops and a round glass-topped receptionist's desk, the new student-friendly Career Center opened this week on the first floor of College Hall. The Career Center offers students advice and resources on career planning, internship and fellowship opportunities, summer jobs and study abroad programs.

Dean of Students Ben Lieber approved the Career Center's request for a move last summer. Development offices previously occupied College Hall's first floor.

"We needed more space," said Dean Rosalind Hoffa, director of the Career Center. "We were bursting at the seams. We had so much going on and we had the staff to support the events, but the space wasn't sufficient."

Hoffa is excited about what the new, larger Career Center can provide students. "There is so much happening in the career arena at the moment," she said. "In our new location we can focus on certain aspects of our work. For instance, we can highlight a 'Career of the Month.' We can use creative ways to advertise programs. The problem wasn't content. We just needed the space to reflect what goes on here."

The new, more expansive facility, is carpeted and squeaky clean. The Center appears modern, colorful, inviting and distinctly oriented toward its student constituency. "We told the designers that this is a student space," Hoffa said. "We want students to come hang out, feel comfortable and think about what they want to do with their lives."

The waiting area, equipped with water and cappuccino machines, is lined with a calendar and shelves featuring handouts and informational materials regarding career options and study abroad opportunities.

Hoffa hopes that the Career Center not only will be an inviting place for students, but will also ease the intimidation students often feel about career preparation. "We're hoping to make career planning a fun experience, not something to be scared of," Hoffa added. "You don't need to know what's next; the process is exploratory."

Students can read the newspaper at individual round tables as they wait their turn to meet with a peer career advisor or a full-time career counselor. At the back of the room there is a series of computers linked directly to the career network. The added space also allows each career counselor to have his or her own private office.

A highlight of the floorplan is the new workshop room, a space which centers on a large rectangular table and features its own LCD system. The room will host resumé writing workshops, study abroad introductory meetings, "how to interview" programs and presentations by employers.

Two new interview rooms will allow employers to meet with students without traveling to the Alumni House, and a "mock interview" space, outfitted with a television, VCR and fax machine, will feature interview training sessions.

Erin Tanaka '05, a peer career advisor at the Career Center is excited about the move. "The new space is a big improvement. We have actual interview rooms now, and each counselor has his or her own office, whereas before some of them shared offices," she said. "It is a more attractive space, and once students realize that walking across the street isn't too far, I think they'll be enticed by the coffee machine and bright-colored walls."

After the final design was completed last October, Kuhn Riddle, an architecture group in town, renovated the first floor of College Hall in preparation for the move.

The Career Center staff is still getting used to their new office. We're all trying to adjust," Hoffa said. "In the old space, if one person said something, everyone heard it. Now we have to make sure that everyone is informed. We're trying new ways of doing things."

Even before the move, Hoffa had noticed increased attendance at Career Center events. "There were more than 200 people at our not-for-profit fair last year," she said. "There have been sizable numbers for our general workshops too, particularly for resumé writing and internship programs. Clearly students are thirsty for information and contacts. We're trying to provide them with both, and I think that the new space will be the site for interaction with guests from various fields that students are interested in."

Hoffa is proud that the Career Center can provide such diverse and complete services for students in one location. "There are very few Career Centers that have so many aspects in one area-career advising, internship resources, information on how to conduct searches and how to interview, study abroad advising, fellowships, community outreach and pre-professional advising," she said. "And, of course, no other career center now has as nice a place as we do."

Students have expressed mixed reviews of the Career Center when it was in its previous location. "I did find it helpful," said Joe Gallegos '05. "The most useful service was providing information on past internships that Amherst students had had. The computers and an area to just sit and set yourself down were helpful also. It was always accessible."

Timothy Jones '05E, who graduated last semester, also found the old offices helpful. "The Career Center helped me early in my career," he said. "It was helpful in developing a resumé and a cover sheet."