Career Services’ Facebook Offers Glimpse into History!

Just like everyone else in the world, Career Services had to switch to the new Facebook timeline format last week. Career Services’ unveiled and introduced their new Facebook timeline with this status update:

Welcome! We hope you like our new Timeline format! An overview of the history and evolution of Career Services at Princeton University is available on our timeline. A career function was established in 1912 and the office has undergone many transformations over the past 100 years! (Yes, that’s right Career Services celebrates its 100th Anniversary this year!!) We are adding the last two decades worth of history over the next few days to bring us to present-day Career Services. “History aficionados” out there should enjoy this wealth of historical information!

Career Services has had many transformations over the years and the historical information in the timeline includes photos as well as news articles from each period. In order to see our Facebook page, first click here. (Don’t forget to “like” the page so you can receive updates on events, news articles, and expert career advice.) On the right hand side of the page, one should see a timeline. The timeline dates from “now” all the way back to when Career Services was “founded”. If you click on the “founded” link, you will be taken to a page that gives details about the center’s founding as well as shows you a picture of Career Services’ first director, George MacFarlane Galt, graduate of the Class of 1890! In 1912, Career Services was called the “Self Help Bureau” and was designed to assist students with financial needs to find work during the academic year, summers, and post graduation.  

As you browse through the various decades, it is so interesting to see the different name changes, events, and happenings of Career Services throughout the past century. For example, I was able to read a clip from a 1935 newspaper article in the Daily Princetonian entitled, “What Employers Looked For in Graduates in 1935.” Who knew that articles like this were being written in 1935? (I didn’t!) Another milestone that caught my interest was a 1976 Daily Princetonian article titled “Career Services Reduces Seniors’ Anxiety” that discussed how students who came to Career Services were less anxious about the challenges of the job market and economy because they were developing a plan.  This is so similar to students of today!

I really like this new feature of the Career Services Facebook page. I hope other students take the time to browse through the history of Career Services to understand how the center has changed in many aspects, but remained the same in one, which is to help students find their way in the career development process!