Freshmen started making plans for their future careers at the second annual career kick-off Friday.

The mini-seminar included two counselors handing out pamphlets, fliers and other free items, including popcorn and soda to potential lawyers, CEOs and accountants.

The counselors provided students with a wide range of information and advice such as starting salaries at each career station and numerous internship programs.

Each of the fliers were organized by class, encouraging freshmen and sophomores to begin their four-step-process while making sure upperclassmen continue down their roads of success.

Bobbi Kingery, graduate placement counselor, said about two out of every three students she approaches either haven’t decided on a specific major or will change majors before graduation.

“This fact concerns the entire Career Service department because our job is to make students comfortable with their future career,” she said.

Both counselors pointed out certain guest speakers, strategy workshops and the weekly updated Web site (www.jobsrv.eiu.edu) where advice on majors and possible careers is given along with available jobs and internships.

The Career Service department’s goal is to get as many students informed as possible before the Fall Career Day and Job Fair.

“Once I transferred from (Trenton College), this career center helped me get a job faster through the central offices,” Greg McElroy, a junior journalism major, said.

Students can use the department’s resume-writing and interviewing workshops, which include up to twelve possible majors.

This year, the counselors were confident last year’s attendance of 400 would be surpassed with ease because of the number of students with undecided majors.

Some students who attended did have a grasp on a possible major and/or career, though.

Courtney Bosco, a freshman economics major and pre-law minor, said she knew her major long before the kick-off but said she is more confident because of the information she received.

“The seminars are going to be interesting and helpful toward a possible career in business law,” Bosco said.

The four-hour informative gathering appealed to students for various reasons.

“I want to make lots of money really quick, and this is exactly where I needed be,” Ben Brokaw, a freshman accounting major, said. “The staff was very informative and created an incredibly friendly environment, and it’ll be easy to gain internships through my counselors.”