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Alumni Entrepreneurs
Mary Lou McCullough
Mary Lou McCullough began her college career on track to be a teacher.
“Back then, you felt as a woman that you had two choices,” McCullough said. “If you went to school, you were either going to be a teacher or a nurse.”
In her senior year of her undergraduate program at WVU, McCullough wasn’t sure that teaching was the right path for her. She also realized how important a graduate degree would be in order to open up her career options. With some guidance from the director of student activities, McCullough decided to pursue a master’s degree in counseling.
While working toward her master’s degree, McCullough’s campus involvement with the Student Union and the Mountainlair landed her a paid internship running Boreman Hall on WVU’s downtown campus.
“At that time, there was a male and female side of the hall,” McCullough said. “I ran the female side of Boreman, as well as programs for other dorms. It was a great experience and really helped to open up my opportunities after graduation.”
McCullough’s first job out of graduate school was as the assistant dean of student affairs at Penn State University, Fayette Campus. As assistant dean, McCullough had a wide range of responsibilities from overseeing financial aid to planning student activities.
“Long-term planning with students was the best part of my job,” McCullough said. “Because Penn State Fayette was a commuter college, I helped students to get adjusted and focused on transferring to the main campus at University Park.”
This job was just the start of a lifelong career helping others at times of transition. Along the way, McCullough found herself in a number of career counseling and related positions, such as teaching and providing educational counseling services to enlisted servicemen in Germany and being a school counselor and assistant principal in Elmira Heights, N.Y.
Eventually, she landed the position that would set the stage for her business.
“My husband’s jobs moved us around a bit in my early career, but eventually we landed in Danville, Va., where I accepted a position as school counselor at George Washington High School.” McCullough said.
After one year she was asked to assume the role of student services coordinator, overseeing the school’s 15 occupational preparatory programs. McCullough saw this position as a real growth experience. The state required that 95 percent of the students in the programs be placed in jobs for which they were trained. McCullough had to establish strong relationships with businesses in the community to reach this goal.
“I had an advisory board for all 15 programs, which included business owners and other community members who could help to network and place these students,” McCullough said. “I also started teaching our students about interviewing, résumé-building and offered general job coaching. We met our placement goal every year. This was the job that really solidified my interest in career development.”
After three years, the McCulloughs moved to Corning, N.Y. While reluctant to leave a job she was so passionate about, she began to work part-time with Corning Community College as a career counselor for adults returning to school.
Subsequently, she was asked by Corning Incorporated to design and facilitate a program focused on providing career support to spouses of employees relocating to the area. These were the opportunities that launched McCullough into business ownership with the establishment of Career Dimensions.
“My background in counseling has been extremely valuable to my business,” McCullough said. “Clients who have lost their jobs often feel they have lost a large part of their existence and have self-esteem issues. I have to be able to get to the heart and soul of where they are in order to help them move forward.”
While Career Dimensions continues to offer outplacement support for companies, they also offer services such as dual-career placement, which include résumé-writing, interview support, job searches and “settling in” programs. These “settling in” programs are relocation programs which provide new employees with help finding childcare, medical facilities and more as they start new jobs.
“I’ve been fortunate to have been able to expand my business and my offerings, but I’ve chosen not to expand too much.” McCullough said. “I don’t want to get away from working directly with my clients. It’s the most rewarding aspect of my job.”