Career Support For Life.
Your relationship with Career Services doesn’t end when you graduate.
DEC graduates have access to Career Services for life at no cost. Whether you’re looking for your first position, exploring a new opportunity, updating your resume, preparing for an interview, or taking the next step in your career, our team is here to help.
Your career will continue to evolve. When it does, DEC remains a resource you can turn to for guidance and support.
1:1
One-on-one career counseling with every student from day one.
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Programs supported: Creative, Beauty & Wellness, and Skilled Trades.
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Lifetime access: Career Services is here for graduates, too.
What we offer:
Our Career Services team works with students from the time they begin their program all the way through graduation and after. We’re focused on helping them figure out where they fit, build confidence, and actually feel prepared to enter their careers.
When do students start working with Career Services?
We don’t wait until students are close to graduation to start talking about careers. We begin working with students while they’re still in school, helping them explore what they want to do, discover their strengths, and understand what their industry is really like. Support includes a mix of one-on-one meetings, workshops, and hands-on experiences.
What kind of career preparation do students receive?
We help students with the practical pieces of launching a career, including resumes, portfolios, interview preparation, and job search strategies. We also spend time building confidence, helping students learn how to talk about themselves professionally, and understanding what employers are really looking for.
How do you prepare students for the real world?
We believe the best way to prepare students is through real-world experiences. Instead of only talking about interviews, we conduct mock interviews. Instead of simply explaining how to write a resume, we help students build and refine one. We also teach networking skills, follow-up strategies, and job search techniques that make sense for their specific industry.
Do students get opportunities to connect with their industry?
Yes! We try to give students as much industry exposure as possible through guest speakers, field trips, and hands-on opportunities. Depending on their program, students may participate in experiences such as face painting events, mock disaster drills, local theater productions, and other projects that allow them to apply their skills in real settings. We also help students understand how hiring works in their field and how to build meaningful professional connections.
Do you help students who want to start their own business?
Absolutely. Many of our students, especially in Beauty & Wellness, are interested in working for themselves one day. We offer workshops and guidance on topics like starting a business, managing clients, and using tools such as booking and scheduling systems. Our goal is to give students the information and resources they need so entrepreneurship feels possible and achievable.
Is Career Services available after graduation?
Yes. Career support doesn’t end at graduation. Alumni can continue to reach out for help with resume updates, interview preparation, job searches, career transitions, or advancement opportunities. We see Career Services as an ongoing relationship and are here to support graduates throughout their careers.
Career training built on outcomes, not promises.
The Portfolio and Career Development Center was created to give all students a professional resource for portfolio development. The Center, run by DEC’s professional photographer, is located in the Van Keulen Complex.
Students are encouraged to set up one-on-one photography sessions as early and as often as possible during their time at DEC.
- Services include:
- Portrait Photography, Highlighting, Makeup, Hair, Prosthetics, Nail Design, and more
- Portfolio, Social Media, and Web Design Guidance
- Behind-the-scenes Photography and Event Coverage
- High-Quality Photo Editing and Printing Services
Book: cal.com/dec-photostudio
Visit: dec.edu/portfolio
Stay connected.
See real-time job opportunities via Facebook
Sets, sound, and SFX gigs.
Salons, spas, and chairs.
Trades, diesel, and dirt.
CDL openings, heavy equipment yards, and skilled-trade hiring leads.
Part-time openings for current students.
Email name, grad date, and ZIP to careerservices@dec.edu.
531 Schoonmaker Ave· Monessen, PA.
Open to all DEC graduates — not just current students.
